Hawthorne's leap of faith

Coming into her third NBL1 season, import Laci Hawthorne described her journey to Australia as a “leap of faith”. 

As most Americans attest, Hawthorne was worried about spiders, animals and being halfway across the world from her friends and family. But she explained that she has zero regrets coming down under to continue her professional career.

“It was a leap of faith, honestly,” she said on Hey Pal Radio. 

“I don’t regret it, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.” 

She started her journey in Australia in the NBL1 West, starting with the Lakeside Lightning in 2023 and then the East Perth Eagles last season. 

Averaging 17 points per game, 9.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, Hawthorne quickly became a known figure in the West. This season, she made her way East and signed with the Sutherland Sharks.

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When looking for a new team, she first goes on Google images to scout out the area and see if she could even live there. With beaches and close proximity to the iconic Sydney Harbour, Hawthorne was impressed with her first impressions of New South Wales. 

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Finding a style of play that suits her, a fast-paced environment, the Sharks become an ideal destination for the import forward. 

 “It’s always been one of my goals to play in different places, and when I got the call to come here, I was thinking ‘oh my goodness, this would be such a good fit for me’,” she said. 

“My teammates are super nice, my coach is really cool, we’re gelling… I am definitely enjoying it here at Sutherland.”

Heading into the annual ANZAC Round ‘Freeway Series’ clash between Sutherland and Illawarra, Hawthorne is ready for a new challenge.

“My teammates have been talking about the ANZAC Day (game) a lot recently, so I’ve been able to hear a little bit about it,” she said. 

“And it seems like a really cool day, and a cool thing you guys do here. We are also getting new jerseys, they look super cool. I'm excited, (Head coach Adrian) Darky says it’s going to be a packed house, so I’m always excited to play infront of a lot of fans.”

The Sutherland Sharks will host the Illawarra Hawks live on ANZAC Day, live from 3:30pm AEST via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App.