Darren Barker 15/2/24 Darren Barker 15/2/24

Kelly Wilson – In A League Of Her Own (450 Games)

Kelly Wilson, the WNBL games record holder, is about to hit another milestone, 450. While she may not love the spotlight, it was clear how much the game means to her after reflecting on her time as a pro.

Cast your mind back to January 2020, when Kelly Wilson broke the WNBL’s all-time games played record after playing her 395th game. Obviously a big moment for herself and the league but fast forward to today, four years later, January in 2024 has just ticked over and we’re still having the same conversation with Kelly.

She couldn’t help but to chuckle about that.

An all-time great of the game, Kelly Wilson is about to clock game 450 as her Bendigo Spirit face off against the Canberra Capitals this Thursday night, February 15th.

While I get the sense that she doesn’t absolutely love all the attention from the milestone, it was nice hearing the moments of reflection Kelly had when talking about reaching game 450.

“Maybe there’s an element of luck to it. But I don’t think that I would be still playing now if I didn’t enjoy the sport of basketball. So I just keep coming back to the fact that I like playing basketball.”

Another thing that was a big help: her additional job as a school teacher in Bendigo, which has made life easier on the court.

“It’s (basketball) also not always been my main focus, I’ve always kind of worked at the same time so I’ve never really seen it as a job if that makes sense. It’s never really been a chore to me.”

This isn’t just a recent thing either, Kelly has been working for almost 15 years as a teacher, so I had to throw out a witty line about clocking 450 classroom lessons too.

“No-one’s keeping track of those milestones. They’re probably more important.”

While we were joking around, I could tell that the last few words probably had an element of truth to them.

Stay ready

How often do you hear basketball players use that term?

There is good reason why.

It just makes sense. As a young player or even older player it’s hard to wait your turn. It’s challenging wondering if that moment for you to make the roster or get some minutes will ever come. But once it does, you better be ready for it, as Kelly explained.

“It’s sometimes hard to crack into it but there’s always going to be an opportunity, so when you get that opportunity it’s taking it and making the absolute most of it.”

She credited that as one reason why she has suited up for so many games.

Basketball is a habit now

An interview with Kelly from a couple of years ago has stuck with me. When asked about continuing to play for as long as she had been (referring to NBL1 at the time), she responded with explaining that it’s almost by accident that she keeps on playing every year.

When each season ended Kelly would essentially say to her family that she was done, “that’s enough for me.” But as the season inched closer and closer her enjoyment of the game won the battle, she eventually agreed to play that season despite never really planning to.

“It’s such a habit for me now, it’s obviously all I’ve known for a really long time so it’s kind of easy for me to fall back into that. The fact that my body feels fine so it’s kind of like, why not? If you’re enjoying it and still have a love for the sport that you’re playing then yeah, why not?”

Quite fascinating, and honest, at that.

“I think sometimes people view it as a job and sometimes it’s a chore to them but I sometimes look at it and I go well, I get paid to play sport, it’s pretty cool.”

It is cool, as is the fact that even after 20 years of playing, Kelly still has this perspective.

“If I’m being really honest, I didn’t necessarily see myself coming back after having a child and playing again at this level. These years or these games now are kind of just a bonus for me.”

The relationships in sport

Now, if you look at Kelly Wilson’s profile the list of accolades isn’t short. 4 x WNBL champion, WNBL Rookie of the Year and so on. But I very much enjoy asking about an almost underrated highlight of a someone’s playing career. Something that perhaps isn’t spoken about enough.

“Without a doubt the friendships I’ve made. I don’t even need to think about that. I’ve been really fortunate to have some amazing teammates, coaches, support staff, supporters and those connections and friendships that I’ve made will last hopefully a lot longer than my basketball career.”

The comradery of team sport is something that many athletes talk about once retiring. From what I’ve heard it’s rarely the on-court action that gets brought up first, it’s the relationships you make along the way and Kelly was very appreciative of hers.

“I think that’s (the) perspective of when you get older. When you’re younger obviously you’re kind of caught in that trap of trying to make it, you get to that certain point in your career where you’re like oh, this is what I actually cherish the most and this is what I place importance on.”

Shout out a few teammates, Kelly, go on.

The first one came as no surprise, sister and former teammate Andrea Wilson. Best friend Gabe Richards was next and lastly Kelsey Griffin who Kelly noted was a part of the reason why she continues to play on.

What motivates you?

After 20+ years of playing professionally, what is the motivation right now?

Before Kelly answered this she touched on motivation never really being a challenge for her. That she had always been internally motivated but besides from that it was clear that one thing stood out from the rest.

“I always want to make my family proud. My mum, dad, brothers, sisters, that kind of thing but now there’s an extra added element. It’s really special for me, for my husband and son to come and see me play. Whether or not he knows what’s going on on the sideline, just to see him there and be so excited to see me at the end of the game puts a huge smile on my face.”

Life after basketball

Now I hate to speculate but one would assume that not too many years of playing would be left for Kelly…

“I don’t think I have much left in the tank.” (laughs)
“At this age and this stage of my career I honestly don’t look far ahead. Like I mentioned, most of what I’m doing now is a bonus for me so if my body feels great and I still feel like playing, I will, but I genuinely don’t think about one season to the next anymore.”

The question is, once that time does come, what’s after playing basketball for Kelly Wilson?

“I think in some way, shape or form I’ll always be involved in the game.”

Time away from the court initially sounds like a certain thing for Kelly, but she talked about helping the youth and focusing on teaching them the game of basketball eventually. Her current teaching duties include the basketball program in Bendigo, so it lines up well.

Speaking of youths, maybe we’ll see another Wilson hit the court in a decade or so, her son, 3-year-old Ted who Kelly admits “couldn’t really care less about basketball” right now.

“I just want him to do whatever makes him happy and what he enjoys doing.”

Let’s get to 500

With game 450 here, I made sure Kelly understood the plan moving forward, reach game 500 and we’ll chat afterwards.

Kelly agreed to that plan (kind of).

“Let’s set a date for that, Darren.”
“I feel like 500 is a number to celebrate.”

Darren Barker 9/2/24 Darren Barker 9/2/24

Shaneice Swain – Grateful For These Opportunities

Shaneice Swain had just been drafted to the WNBA. She had also just signed with the Sydney Flames for the upcoming WNBL season. Things were buzzing in her world but one thing stood in the way of it all, a lingering knee injury which forced her to miss the first 12 rounds of the WNBL season.

Shaneice Swain’s name had just been called at the WNBA Draft, number 14 overall to the LA Sparks - pretty surreal for a then 19-year-old from Cairns, North Queensland.

Shaneice was the only Australian drafted in the 2023 WNBA Draft and the buzz back home was electric. Everyone loves those stories and it helped that her game is an absolute joy to watch too.

She just finished showcasing this by capturing the attention of many you need to capture the attention of, at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon. Leading the scoring department with 19 points, it was clear what kind of talent Shaneice was after just 21 minutes of action with Team World.

Bound for the WNBA

Swain had all the buzz, people started to shift their attention to the WNBA and seeing the name S. Swain on a roster.

We will see that become a reality in a short period of time as she is now officially a member of the WNBA.

Shaneice admitted that she had a feeling that she was going to get drafted at number 12 or below, but forget the typical draft night set-up with family and friends gathered around a TV or better yet, being there in person, her whereabouts while getting drafted isn’t what you’d expect.

It’s not always bright lights and popcorn while getting drafted

On a plane home from the Nike Hoop Summit, weak Wi-Fi, not being connected for the majority of the flight, this will be interesting.

Signal found, better late than never as the flight was just about coming to an end but hello to the chaotic influx of notifications to Shaneice’s phone.

“It was very overwhelming.” (laughs)

Admitting to not knowing where to start, the first message she saw was from a family group chat and from there it was obvious what she had missed while being up in the air disconnected from the world.

Imagine gearing up for a massive milestone in your life, a dream being achieved and not even being able to live it in the moment. A strange yet almost wholesome way of achieving a goal of yours.

A really nice touch from the LA Sparks was actually surprising Shaneice in Los Angeles during a layover there and congratulating her in person. An important ‘first opinions matter’ type of moment, one that she said made her feel really good and one would assume really welcome.

Family, flowers and good vibes met her at the airport as she hit home back in Australia.

“Who’s one player, and one player only, that you are looking forward to competing with in the WNBA?” was a question that stumped Shaneice for a bit.

Deep in thought, her answer wouldn’t surprise anyone at all: “Diana Taurasi”.

A new chapter in Sydney

Things were looking pretty great from the outside for Shaneice. The WNBA was a real thing now, her life was about to change and to cap it off, she had one more exciting thing on the horizon which would come into effect earlier then the Sparks, that being a new team in the WNBL.

It’s become common for a young player to be drafted into the WNBA but to take a season or so to actually join the team, see Jade Melbourne and the Seattle Storm as an example of that.

Shaneice did the same, her Canberra Capitals stint was over and she had just signed a deal with the Sydney Flames to play this season in the WNBL. This mounted on top of the overall buzz from the WNBA situation.

“I was so excited for the season and starting with a new team. I was just so excited for it. To develop my game, take it to another level before looking to go over to LA.”

One thing stood in her way, those things we all hate called injuries.

A lingering knee injury caused Shaneice to sit out for the first 12 rounds of the 23/24 Cygnett WNBL season. The frustration had to be difficult to manage on her end but it even frustrated fans (myself included) as we were super eager to watch her play.

“I felt very isolated, just being by myself isolated.”

Being stuck at home by yourself while the team is on the road has to be a challenging situation as all you can do is clock watch and make as much progress as possible.

Shaneice explained that she’s very relaxed off the court so no new hobbies were found during her time rehabbing, just many chats with her two young nieces over the phone which spoke to what a family person she is.

Game one

The news was released, “Shaneice Swain to make Sydney Flames debut” and the excitement started to build. It may have taken to Round 13 but the time had come.

“In the lead up to it I was super excited, like so excited to play, counting down the days and then when it started getting a little closer… I was getting super nervous. Couldn’t sleep, thinking about everything that could happen in the game.”

Now I don’t know about you but when I watch Shaneice play one of the very first words that comes to mind is “confident” but that doesn’t stop the pre-game nerves.

“Before the game, I started feeling sick. I feel like that’s just how I’ve always been though. I was like that in Canberra.”

“You’ve played in the WNBL before, you’re stronger now, this isn’t new for you” were similar phrases Shaneice was saying in her mind to hype herself up.

“Once I got my first assist, my first bucket, I was rolling from there.”

It may be an awkward feeling coming back into the line-up with only a couple of games left in the regular season, but all Shaneice could say is that she’s grateful for the opportunity.

“I’m just grateful that I can play. Just being able to step out on court, some people don’t get that opportunity so I’m just super grateful for it.”

Under the radar talent

I love asking young stars this question.

Every player on the rise usually receives their own fair share of attention but I’m always curious who that next one will be. Who may potentially be where Shaneice Swain or Jade Melbourne are in a few years.

I asked Shaneice to give some love to someone potentially flying too far under the radar in the WNBL.

“I think Saffron Shiels. She’s pretty tough. She’s a big guard too. I like her game, she can handle the ball. If she really gets to play play, she’d be tough.”

For context, Izzy Borlase mentioned Saffron Shiels as well when I asked her this question so there’s one to jot down.

Next steps

As mentioned before, it’s an awkward thing to make your debut with a new side 13 rounds in, but I was curious on an individual level, what Shaneice was hoping to get out of the rest of the season.

“Even before I went into the season, I told myself I wanted to get better defensively. Just focus on defence and then I know my offence will come.”

Defence was emphasised by Shaneice which I quite enjoyed. Other notes were getting stronger and improving her decision making.

It took a while but her Sydney days are finally here. Let’s enjoy them as her next stop will be Los Angeles.

Darren Barker 23/1/24 Darren Barker 23/1/24

Gemma Potter - Appreciating Every Moment

Rupturing two ACL’s in a row is a pretty extraordinary thing to happen to an athlete but Gemma Potter is back, healthy and is appreciating every moment right now with her super enjoyable Canberra Capitals team.

There’s many sides to a serious injury in sport, well, two serious injuries if we’re talking about specifics to Gemma Potter.

One side is the comeback story, but two is the ability to move on from it and put it in the past. The balance of moving on and keeping it positive but also reflecting on it as part of journey must be a challenging thing, even for someone like me who was about to talk to Gemma about it.

A brutal sequence of injuries

I was super keen to get an insight into what it was like to rupture not one, but two ACL’s in a matter of years but also wanted to keep the positive energy alive, much like her Canberra Capitals team which we will touch on later.

Gemma’s first ACL was done in May 2021 while competing in the National Championships.

Fast forward to the beginning of the 2022/23 WNBL season where she had fully recovered and whack, in round one it happens again.

Super rough. That moment must have been so tough to accept.

To work your way back, the grind, sitting on the sidelines all those months just waiting, only for it to happen again in your literal first game back is a horrible storyline.

Again, moving on from it must be a big challenge but it’s a part of Gemma’s story now. Question after question, point after point, I apologised for talking about the injuries straight away but she understood.

I had to bluntly ask if she ever got sick of talking about the injuries.

“Yes and no. I think it kind of reminds me of how far I have come and like, how these four wins… they mean a lot.”

I really liked this point. Imagine how much more you would cherish every game, every win, every loss now, knowing that at any stage you could miss the next season. It’s a brutal game.

It’s not even about the points, the rebounds, the assists, it’s simply about being out there and competing once again.

“Trying to keep it light this season, just get back to playing basketball, I kind of can’t be too hard on myself when I haven’t played in two years.”

Athlete’s overseas have often floated the idea that you can come back more athletic in some cases after suffering a serious injury. From a fans perspective I was always curious if that could be true and while Gemma wasn’t sold on the physical front, the mental side was a big yes. Mentioning that you certainly come back stronger mentally and things like your IQ for the game had most likely continued to increase.

The road to recovery

I had to talk about this, Gemma’s two Instagram posts in a row, a couple of years ago.

“Been on pause for 2 years and cannot wait to play again” was the caption that came with the first post.

“As many highs as there is, they’re going to be lows and last night was no different. Unfortunately scans have showed that I have ruptured my ACL and strained my MCL.” was the next post combined with a photo of Gemma down on the ground clutching at her knee.

Just a brutal sequence for someone at the beginning of their pro career.

“Something I can look back on and laugh about.”

I’m glad, as it was painful to even think about that moment as I read the two posts.

A light hearted moment was at the beginning of this season when another set of media day photo’s came out to the team. Keep in mind the post before her second ACL happened included media day shots. Gemma was explaining that in her mind it was like a “oh no I can’t post these, not after what happened last time” situation.

We’re all human, we all have these thoughts, even if it doesn’t impact the outcome whatsoever. The old social media / putting it out there curse.

I know you’re wondering so yes, she did end up posting the media day photo’s, but left the caption minimal.

“I kind of always expected myself to do a knee. I don't know if that makes sense when you say it loud.”

Sorry wait, what?

“A lot of people have like a severe injury within their career and I just knew that I was going to have one.”

I had to ask Gemma to elaborate as I was thrown off a bit by this comment!

“So the first one in a way didn't come as a surprise. I was like well, here it is.”

Please go on.

“I’m weird with stuff like that.”

You said that, not me.

“I wish I didn’t think like this.”

After the first ACL rupture Gemma said she basically felt like “yeah, this is great, I'm done now, I'm gonna have the best time in my career.”

I liked the positive outlook at the end at least, but what a hit to the gut when the second one happened.

“When it gets taken away, you can’t even go to the toilet without help. That’s when it kind of slaps you in the face with ‘we’re doing this again’.”
“There was definitely a time where the 9-5 job looked a lot nicer than learning to walk again.”

Well phrased, it really makes you think doesn’t it.

“I think being an athlete, the hardest part probably is the not competing.”

This makes a ton of sense, but don’t worry, during Gemma’s first stint on the sidelines she picked up a new hobby, a new thing to obsess over.

You guessed it, crochet.

(Don’t worry I had to google this too.)

“I was obsessed with it.”
“I was crocheting when I was going out to coffee with my friends and I was like making them all get into it.”

Gemma’s crocheting phase now sounds over, sadly, as she reminisced about the left over bags of thread / wool somewhere in the house.

“I was definitely in my crocheting prime.”

Besides from Gemma’s intense crochet phase, I was keen to know what her life outside of basketball included during this time. While insight proceeded, it was clear that it largely revolved around her “little best friend.”

“He’s my little best friend. Most trainings I will rush home so I can come hang out with him.”

Her dog, Jax, who she got when she did her second ACL. We all heard of ‘COVID pets’ but I personally think ‘ACL pets’ may be a little more special.

That’s enough about not playing yeah? Let’s get into some basketball and positivity.

A special team in Canberra

Describe this seasons Canberra Capitals team, I said.

Her face lit up immediately.

“Oh it’s so special.”
“We are probably the most annoying team because we could be down yet we're still having fun and laughing and if a team did that to us, we'd probably get annoyed, but we still do it to other teams. Not because we want to do it to them, but because that's just the culture that we've set up here. We have fun but once we step over that line we also know that we want to win. We have a job to do.”

I love it.

See, from an outside perspective you feel like this team love playing together. The fun, the laughter, all of it. But you never properly know what a team is actually like and what façade they might be putting on.

“I have so much fun day in and day out and it definitely does not feel like a job when you’re here.”

It’s clear that Canberra really do enjoy playing with one another and speaking of enjoyment, that had to lead into Jade Melbourne. We all know how much energy and positivity she brings to a group, but I had to ask about other teammates that brought at least a bit of those vibes as well.

“Honestly no one is up to Jade’s standards. You probably hear her before you see her most days and she kind of makes a point to try and not let me hear her before I see her.”
“But I think everyone kind of builds off Jade when we see how much she cares and loves our group. You kind of have no choice then to do what she's doing.”

Gemma name dropped two players here. Firstly, Nicole Munger.

“She will still yell at you and say good morning even though it's the worst morning in the world, she'll still be happy and be loving life.”

We all know those type of people, and they’re terrific.

Secondly, Monica Okoye. Specifically the enjoyment everyone gets from allowing “Mon” to understand everything being said at meetings and beyond. Mon is from Japan and if any translating needs to be done, it will be done. Switching words, changing sentences, I could tell Gemma appreciated the bond the team has with Mon and what a bubbly personality she is.

Basketball is a universal language after all.

What does the future hold?

Now, talk to most young Australian athlete’s and their goals will include landing in the bright lights of the WNBA or NBA. Which for the record I love, aiming big is what it is all about. At the same time I think there’s something special about putting basically all of your attention on being the best damn basketball player in Australia you can be.

“I want to establish myself here in Australia and kind of be that name that people will know.”
“Other then that you know, the WNBA might come, but it's not the be all and end all for me.”

Clearly if the WNBA came knocking Gemma would most likely throw her hand up in the air immediately but I really rate the honesty of being like no, my focus is the WNBL and what I can do in this league and this country.

“I've kind of always said I want to establish myself here, in the WNBL.”
“I want to do that for the people in my life. Like, my little sister and stuff play basketball, so I probably want to stay here and see if I could ever play with her. That'd be pretty fun, at whatever level that is.”
“Playing with her would be pretty special, that’s for sure.”

I think most fans get a kick out of siblings playing together so I’m rooting for this to happen at some stage. Gemma turns 22 in February and her sister Teagan is currently 15 years old so I’m saying there’s a good chance it happens. Two Potters is better than one.

Gemma’s perspective on her future goals was really refreshing. It was largely based around family, home and enjoying where she is right now. Who can’t get around those things?

Oh and the other significant part - how much she loved Canberra and wants to stay there as long as possible.

“I'm just so set here. I love it. I love the life.”

Darren Barker 4/1/24 Darren Barker 4/1/24

Izzy Borlase - Right Here, Right Now

Izzy Borlase is currently competing in her third season in the WNBL with the Adelaide Lightning but her career has progressed quickly. WNBA talk, mock drafts, Opals - Borlase stays present in the moment but admits it can be difficult to not look ahead at times.

19 years old, establishing yourself as a quality WNBL player in your third season with the Adelaide Lightning, trying to focus on the present, do some sudoku’s in your down time and not look ahead to your name being on ESPN’s latest WNBA mock draft at #12.

The current status of Izzy Borlase.

Seeing the mock draft makes it all real.

The WNBA, moving overseas, the Opals, these are all massive things for a 19 year old.

People like myself don’t help Izzy stay in the moment, I’ll admit, but I had to ask the question about her future!

“I really try not to look ahead, I wouldn’t say I’m that good at it to be honest. I feel like as a young athlete it’s easy to potentially get carried away with what could be but yeah, it’s definitely something I’m working on cause you know, I’ve got a game tomorrow and things are getting talked about a couple months down the track.”

A WNBL game tomorrow, me asking about getting drafted into the WNBA today, you’re welcome Izzy.

It would honestly be very challenging staying in the present so I appreciate her talking about this openly.

“Sometimes it’s exciting when you start to think about it but sometimes you can go down a hole when you think about it too much and it’s like woah, I’m actually right here, right now.”

Izzy understood where I was coming from, I hope, as I was simply excited to chat with her about it and at the end of the day I’m just a basketball fan like many others. It’s intriguing, it’s exciting for many.

“I think it’s exciting. If I’m being completely honest I knew that I was eligible for the draft this year but when that mock draft came out I was like wow, I was quite shocked to be honest to see that my name was that high in the first round but you never know what can happen. So obviously I’m really excited but you know, there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge and we’ll just see how it plays out.”

“A lot of water to go under the bridge.” – Izzy is clearly prepared for the media attention about to come her way with these cliché lines at the ready.

(laughing) “Maybe don’t use that.”

Izzy’s rise to the present day

It has got to feel like it has happened quickly for Borlase. It wasn’t that long ago where she played just one game in her debut WNBL season back in 2021. Fast forward to 2022 where she averaged 13.5 PPG and right now at the start of 2024 she’s sitting at 15 PPG in her third year and is basically the face of the Adelaide Lightning with Steph Talbot sitting out due to injury.

Not many people, let alone at 19 years old, let alone Australians, have their name near the top end of WNBA Draft conversations so it must be a whirlwind right now for Borlase.

“I definitely didn’t plan it out to go this way. A lot has happened in the past 18 months since my first real full season. I’ve really enjoyed it and I’ve learned a lot.”

Keeping you grounded

You know why parents are so important? Regardless of how ‘big’ you get in the world, you will always be their kid and they will always bring you back down to earth.

“I get people like you, my coaches, everyone just like hyping you up and it’s really good and then you come home and my family just bring me back down to earth which is a good thing, it’s a nice balance.”

You actually need that. Those people that remind you where you came from, your family, your friends, the things that really matter and the things that will never stop motivating you.

We all make a big deal out of mock drafts, and rightly so at times, but often as fans we get caught in this basketball bubble. That being a bubble where we literally think ball is life and forget that not everyone knows about these things, including Mr and Mrs. Borlase.

“I literally showed Mum and Dad the mock draft… they were just like, oblivious to all that stuff.”

The signs of a leader

When talking about this WNBL season I thoroughly enjoyed Izzy almost immediately taking accountability for some close losses Adelaide have had and said she could have done more to help. It’s a little thing but it shows leadership qualities already. Ticking boxes.

I had to force out of her one thing and one thing only, that she wants to improve on while talking about helping her team.

“Creating my own shot in different ways. Whether that’s like, a pull-up game or floaters, because I think I’ve got an ok 3 point shot, getting to the ring really well but finding that middle ground.”

It always interests me how players answer that question.

The Green & Gold effect, representing Australia

Whenever basketball players talk about representing Australia their eyes typically light up. It’s such a big thing to almost every one of them and Borlase is no different.

After Opals Head Coach Sandy Brondello told ESPN that “she's going to definitely be an Opal”, Izzy admitted that it is nice to hear those things and she spoke with Sandy after a game in Adelaide earlier this season.

“The thought of representing Australia at any sort of level is just so exciting. There’s only a small group of people that get to do it.”

A small ground indeed but a group I think Borlase will be part of very soon.

The worldwide rise of women’s basketball

Women’s basketball is on the rise full stop, and a big part of that is credited to the NCAAW and specifically their Tournament last season which many eyeballs tuned into. At the top of that conversation is Caitlin Clark whose name continues to climb to pretty insane levels.

As a fan and as a player it’s hard not to see Clark’s highlights on your feed and take in what she is doing for women’s basketball.

“Seeing what Caitlin Clark is doing in college is amazing. I’ve never seen someone shoot the ball like she does.”

If you are talking about young Aussie talent there’s a few names that will come to mind for most.

Yes very good, Izzy Borlase – check.

Sitting at #7 on the same ESPN WNBA mock draft, Nyadiew Puoch – check.

But the other name is Jade Melbourne who I am a big advocate for.

“Who isn’t a big Jade fan?” was Izzy’s response to me complimenting her. Fair point, I’m not sure who wouldn’t be a fan of hers.

Melbourne is also one that is currently bridging the WNBL to WNBA gap and paving the way for players like Borlase. She’s suiting up with the Canberra Capitals right now and will be heading back to Seattle post-season.

My point here was really to get some other names from Borlase, some Australian talent that may be flying under the radar, some dark horses if you will.

Maybe slightly bias but Izzy spoke very highly of best friend and teammate Tayla Brazel, as she did with Townsville’s Saffron Shiels - “She’s going to be very, very good once she gets a bit older.”

The other was Dallas Loughridge who has returned from an ACL injury this season with the Southside Flyers. Izzy pointed to one element of Dallas as a person that impressed her the most, hard work.

“Dallas works so hard. She’s probably one of the hardest workers that I’ve got to play with before.”

Every basketball fan, coach and scout is a sucker for hard work, so that was an enjoyable insight.

Finding a ‘side hustle’

I said it above but I’ll say it again, talk to any Australian athlete and they’ll tell you how special it is to represent Australia but any athlete in general will tell you how important it is to have that ‘side hustle’. That activity away from basketball that allows them to escape from the world of sport for a moment or two.

“I’m working on finding a hobby. That’s why I need to get good at reading.”

While it may not be there yet for Borlase, I could tell that she understood what an important role having things outside of basketball is for her.

Izzy sounds like a big beach person. Surfing, walking along the sand, catching up with friends, that sounds like her side hustle right now. A pretty great side hustle if you ask me.

“Catching up with friends away from basketball is super important to me at the moment because like you said it can be a lot sometimes.”

Another example of finding ourselves in the basketball bubble and the importance of finding people on the outside of it.

Izzy currently studies Human Movement at University with ambitions to move into Occupational Therapy later on, she also teaches swimming so while she may not have that one specific passion outside of basketball, she certainly has a few things on the go.

Borlase has a bright future on the court which I’m stoked to follow, but it’s sometimes missed what players are into off the court so I look forward to following the journey of both.

Good luck getting more into reading Izzy, I am also trying to do the same.

Darren Barker 16/12/23 Darren Barker 16/12/23

United Still Run Melbourne - Photo Journal

One day South East Melbourne will get to a point where they can make that case that Melbourne is their city, but today is not that day. In the latest “Throwdown”, United walked into the Phoenix’s home, gave them the business and walked out with the crowd chanting their name after a big win.

There is always a heap of passion and energy in the air when Melbourne United and the South East Melbourne Phoenix face off. It’s the Melbourne rivalry. “The Throwdown”. A match-up that people are always going to be invested in.

Melbourne United have existed a lot longer than the Phoenix. Ever since the South East Melbourne Phoenix were formed, they’ve been chasing down United. It’s just the way it works. You arrive in a town that another team already lives in and it’s theirs until you take it from them.

Whether it’s right or wrong, South East are viewed as the “baby brother” of Melbourne. The team trying to chase down big brother. They have come close but close is what it has stayed at, for now. No matter how well the Phoenix are travelling each season, they can’t seem to get over the hump that is Melbourne United.

Yes they’ve beaten them, but when it has mattered most they have come up short. They’re in a groove, they’re playing well, but the older sibling has made a habit of bringing them back down to reality.

That’s exactly what happened in the latest instalment of their rivalry, after United got a big win on a Thursday night (December 14).

**Bigger than basketball**

Forget the on court action to begin with, the most joyful moments of the night was seeing the great man Corey ‘Homicide’ Williams in the arena.
Former NBL MVP turned commentator and media talent extraordinaire, Corey put a huge stamp on this league in many ways and things haven’t been the same without him around town. He’s currently battling some health conditions but I just want to say that the love in the air for Corey was felt by all.
It was really quite moving. It was the first time he was back at a game and instant smiles came across people’s faces when realising he was there.
It was a special moment. The basketball community is so much more than just basketball.

Blink and you miss it

Blink and you look up to the scoreboard reading a 20 point advantage to Melbourne United. That’s what it felt like Thursday night in the first half.
They are just such a well rounded team with a lot of guys that can make a difference quickly, on both ends of the floor.
It’s no wonder many had them as pre season favourite’s purely by looking up and down their roster a few times.

**Battle of the big men**

This is what everyone wanted to see. Within the game are several games and in this case it was Jo Lual Acuil Jr. and Alan Williams as the main characters.
Both had their moments. Alan Williams had a personal one against JLA as pictured here with the clean block. Speaking of blocks, Lual Acuil Jr. tallied 7 of them which tied the most in a game in the 40-minute NBL era.
A fun contest but you have to give the nod to JLA.
**Jo Lual Acuil Jr.** - 17 points, 7 rebounds, 7 blocks, W
**Alan Williams** - 12 points, 16 rebounds, L

**Teasing the crowd**

This was technically a South East Melbourne home game. The arena was in green, most fans were rooting for the Phoenix and there were multiple occasions where I thought, *“alright, now is where they make their run back into the contest.”*
They were still down 10-20 points each time but there were moments of momentum where they really flirted with the idea of making this a serious ball game.
While it wasn’t to be, I appreciated the efforts of Alan Williams and Ben Ayre specifically who tried to fire up the crowd on different occasions.

**Inspiring the youth**

Now this moment was very wholesome.
At most basketball games you will find a dance team that come out during breaks in play and do there thing. Waiting courtside tonight with a huge grin on her face was this young fan.
She honestly looked super happy and almost jealous of the ladies within her reach.
The way she is trying to reach out to them really makes me think that she idolises them and wants to be them one day, and if she is, let’s re-circle this photo yeah?

**The back breaker**

Ah, the joy of getting your spirits absolutely crushed by a Chris Goulding 3.
Whenever the Phoenix would make a shot or two, get a stop, find a bit of momentum back in the game, my thoughts went to Chris Goulding and how at any second he could pop up with a 3 or 2 in a minute of play and just crush the souls of South East Melbourne.
Now it didn’t exactly happen that way but the threat of it realistically happening at any moment is what makes CG so good. He did make a wild four point play in the final minutes though, which served as a final cherry on top.

**Unafraid**

I referenced South East Melbourne as the baby brother earlier, which I know they’d hate, but they have fight, let’s not get that twisted.
The scoreboard wasn’t kind to them at many stages in this one but ‘scared’ was not a term that resembled their play.
Ben Ayre barking at United’s bench, Mitch Creek as the leader, they’ve proven they can compete with Melbourne but they just can’t do it consistently yet.
One day the little brother will grow enough to beat older brother consistently, but today is not that day.

**‘Melbourne’ chants hit John Cain Arena**

The Phoenix had to of heard it, the “Melbourneeee” chants that swept over John Cain Arena during the fourth quarter as United continued to press.
As mentioned before, this was not a Melbourne United home game.
The final score was 106-78 in United’s favour and I hope South East Melbourne did hear the chants, and remember them for next time.

Taking note

Days before this game was played the Phoenix had officially signed Abdel Nader as their new import.
I enjoyed the sight of him standing at the back of South East’s bench just observing, taking it all in.
Now I don’t know what Nader’s personality is like, I don’t know how he will fit with this team but I do hope that he was taking note of this game. Taking note of United coming into their gym as visitors, as rivals, and walking away with a comfortable win while the crowd chanted their name as they exited the building.
Until next time.

Darren Barker 10/12/23 Darren Barker 10/12/23

Harrison Hornery - Keep Your Head Where Your Feet Are

How does an Australian kid from Queensland find himself living in California at 15 years old? How about how he is suiting up for one of the most prestigious college basketball schools alongside LeBron James’ son, Bronny?

It’s a pretty wild situation and questions I wanted all the answers to.

*Photo by John McGillen - USC Athletics*

Harrison Hornery, a 6’10 Junior playing for USC, is an up and coming Australian basketball player and I was super keen to dive into who he was and everything that has come from playing at the University of Southern California. Thanks to Harrison, I was able to do just that.

My home in Southern California

After moving to Southern California in 2017, now 22 year-old Harrison has been living in the States for 7 years. The move was for his Freshmen year in high school and ever since then he’s basically been a local. A part of the furniture is the vibe I got from the conversation. Someone who is comfortable with the American culture and living arrangements.

For someone like me who’s always watching American basketball, I’ve often thought to myself “hey, I wonder what moving to the States would be like if some crazy opportunity ever presented itself?”

Daunting.

That’s the word I always came to.

“I was too young. We would just like, give anything a go, really. Just kind of took a shot on it and it ended up working out.”

Harrison sounded almost unfazed by the move. Daunting wasn’t a word that resembled his emotions, even at 15 years old. Full credit to him though, as he thought he was mature for his age and trusted himself in making important decisions back then.

“You do have to grow up really quick.”

This was the beginning of my realisation that Harrison has a good head on his shoulders.

Early 2017 was the last time Harrison hooped ‘down under’. That was during his rep basketball days with Ipswich and clearly he left an impression on the Ipswich community as multiple people have asked him to come and play for their NBL1 club since then.

The NBL1 is the competition below the NBL, the main league here in Australia.

Back to where it began

Let’s throw it back a bit, I wanted to know how basketball even came about for Harrison, especially considering it wasn’t even the first sport he played.

Depending on where you grow up in Australia, the main sports are Footy (AFL) or Rugby (NRL). Being in Queensland which is a heavy Rugby state, Harrison was a big Rugby kid growing up.

He played from under 6’s to under 12’s and it took him a few looks in the mirror along the way to see how tall he was growing and to realise that basketball might make a lot of sense now.

It was “an athletic step I thought I could do” and it helped that his older brother played also.

From there it was all about basketball.

*Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer*

Enter Mater Dei High School, a life changing experience

The day Harrison was taken to Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California by his current coach, effectively changed Harrison’s basketball future.

“I would just love to get the awareness out of what I think Mater Dei did for me. I’m so grateful for coach (Gary) Mcknight and everything he did. He gave me an opportunity to come over here and that’s the sole reason I’m here at USC. I remember him telling me when I was a Freshmen that you’re going to be a Pac-12 player one day. A year later they offered me and the process started from there, it was crazy.”

Harrison made a point to reference back to just how special Mater Dei was to him and how important that experience was.

In the middle of all of that was coach Gary Mcknight.

“Mcknight kind of took a shot on me and I’m very grateful for that. I had some of the most fun I’ve ever had in my life.”

In his own words - Exposition article

A quick shoutout to Harrison’s own article he wrote for Exposition, a website run by beach volleyball players at USC, so check that out as well as it’s a great insight.

The jump to college basketball at USC

Harrison is currently a Junior at USC, which is 3 years into his time there and I had to know what it felt like jumping into that world of basketball and the differences between high school and college play.

“The IQ stuff I’m really good with but it was just the athletic difference is insane.”
“I think from NBL1 to college…it’s a different level of athleticism and the pace the team’s play with, we just got done playing Gonzaga and we got smacked. They just get the ball out and go, team’s are machines, it’s kind of crazy.”

I loved the enthusiasm he spoke with here. Harrison was also very complimentary of Mater Dei in terms of it being ran like a college, therefore really preparing him well for USC.

Evolving as a player

Every basketball player develops in many different ways during this stage in their career and it even stumped Harrison a little when talking about how his own game has changed.

“I came in, was a 6’9 stretch four, a five man-ish… I can play every position now, I’ve played every position on the floor this year, it’s kind of crazy.”
“You have to guard or you can’t play, that’s been my biggest thing.”

Playing defense was certainly a highlight here, as was going against teammates Isaiah Collier (don’t worry we will get to him later) and Boogie Ellis in practice.

*Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images*

Pinch yourself moments

Kansas is on my screen, another Aussie in Johnny Furphy is running around and I think to myself, “how cool is it to see Australian’s representing such a big program over there in the States?”

So I asked the question.

Did Harrison ever look down to see the letters “USC” across his chest and think, “damn, I’m doing pretty well for myself?”

He laughed and said “I have pinch myself moments all the time.”

“Anytime you’re just out there, you’re playing in the Pac-12 Conference and you have USC on your chest, it’s pretty surreal. That fight song, the band, everything about it, you won’t get anything like it anywhere else. The time’s gone so fast, I can’t believe I’m a Junior now, it’s almost over. But it is surreal, I’m very thankful for sure.”

I loved the honesty here.

Arriving on campus in his Freshmen year, officially being a USC athlete, beating UCLA at home and having the fans storm the court – these were all moments Harrison detailed.

“Great night out too, it was awesome.”

An important detail to know about the aftermath of beating UCLA.

On court persona

“I think I’m just your typical Aussie basketball player, just tall.”

This quote was amusing upon reflection but not his proper answer on how he would describe his game.

“Someone who’s going to play very hard every possession, I learned that here, play hard both ends of the ball. Can shoot it, I feel like I have a really good IQ of the game. I can kind of see things before they come.” “At a taller position I can run, 3, 4, 5 and kind of have eyes out there like a point guard and make sure I have guys in the right spots and make the right play every time.”

Like many other athlete’s and specifically NBA ones, Harrison is a golfer. Admitting he’s quite good at it these days but right now his other hobbies simply include family time when he’s in Australia, hanging out with friends and enjoying the college experience.

“Living your typical life as a college student would. It’s very fun over here.”
“Everything you think an American college student would be doing, that’s what I’m kind of doing.”

Again, important things to note!

Bronny James

“You can see he just wants to be a normal kid.”

This was the main bit of the conversation that really stood out to me about Bronny James. Ok, there were many but this hit home in a different way.

Imagine everything that comes with being the kid of LeBron James. The LeBron James.

It would be crazy. The pressure, the attention, the unfair criticism. I can picture it all.

“It’s insane”, Harrison said when talking about the flock of fans that run up to Bronny and the fact that he needs security around him.

“Off the court we hang out all the time.”
“He is a very normal, most humble kid you’ll ever meet. Just a really nice guy actually.”
“I don’t think he lets it get to him. You see LeBron in the media, just like, he blows off a lot of stuff, I think Bronny is exactly the same way.”

The ability for Harrison to recognise these niche similarities to his Dad is a pretty cool thing. Including referencing their on court play which is a 100% a hook to get you to continue reading this next bit.

“He’s like his Dad, he makes the right play every single time. He’s learned from the best.”
“His IQ is crazy, he’s very fast.”

As well as his IQ and quickness, Bronny’s jump shot was something Harrison repeatedly brought up when it came to “James Junior”.

“You see that ‘James Junior’ on his back of his jersey and it’s like, woah.”

The weight of expectation from having that last name in that bloodline is unimaginable so I’m definitely rooting for the kid. The way Harrison speaks of him makes me think he’s just a genuine, friendly person as well which helps. I could hear the warmth coming from Harrison as he spoke about who Bronny was as a person.

“He’s a Freshmen but he should be a piece for us this year for sure.”
“We just sold out this Sunday for Long Beach State because Bronny is playing.”

There it is, folks.

As expected, Bronny will make his debut against Long Beach State this Sunday at 1:00pm (California time - PST UTC -8).

“I think he’s (LeBron) coming this Sunday so that’s going to be wild.”

And as expected, LeBron should be in attendance which clearly sparked Harrison’s energy levels when talking about, as did the time when LeBron rocked up to a USC practice.

“LeBron came to a practice once and I was like woah. I walked upstairs and he was in the gym and I was like this is crazy. For all the times I’ve watched LeBron play basketball and he’s going to watch me play.”

Around the NBA circles, that extends to the fans as well, it is largely known that LeBron’s IQ is pretty crazy. You get the post-game interviews where he’s reciting play by play, the in game moments where he apparently knows all of his oppositions plays before they run them, those kind of things and LeBron showed just a small taste of that when Harrison met him.

“I said hi to him. You know, his IQ is crazy, I think he knows all of us. He knows all of our names.”

Neat. Just the fact that he knew them by name, it’s a small thing, but one that I enjoyed.

Isaiah Collier

A projected top 5 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, some have him as number 1, a personal favourite of mine - Isaiah Collier. Who just happens to be a teammate of Harrison’s so we had to talk about him.

“Humble kid, bit of a larrikin, a pretty funny guy.”

I could hear the most basic insight into who players are from a personality perspective, but I would still get a kick from it.

Aggression was the first term I thought of when I saw Collier’s first games as a USC Trojan. He’s a bulldog out there, a well built guard that isn’t afraid of any physicality.

“He gets aggressive, he doesn’t really say much but he just has such a presence with his body.”

Now, with high praise comes high criticism. It’s just the way it works.

Recently ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who is one of the most well known NBA Draft Analysts, tweeted about Collier’s play and the fact that not everyone was sold on the USC point guard due to his “often-lackluster defensive intensity” and “questionable decision-making”.

“I think he could be a number 1 pick if he… hopefully gets his turnovers down (laughs) and starts not having defensive clips made about him on Twitter.”

I enjoyed the unprompted reference to Givony’s tweet, but was also quite curious about how those things are actually handled with the people affected.

“If anyone made a clip of that about me I’d be sick. It should be a motivating piece which I think it will.”

Harrison explained that cases like this are acknowledged by the players and even brought up by staff in some examples, but that it was all part of the process and he hopes it simply annoys and motivates Isaiah to the point where he won’t do it again.

A great reaction, I thought.

Regardless of what concerns analysts might have of Collier, Harrison doesn’t have any of his own.

“I’ll ride or die with him.”
“When he’s guarding and he’s being a floor general like he is, he’s the best player in the country. He’s insane.”

It’s all a learning experience for anyone in college let alone a 19 year old getting touted as the potential #1 pick.

“He’s young, he’s a Freshmen learning that in college it’s a different world. You have to be playing hard every single possession otherwise you get called out which he did last week unfortunately.”
“He’s one of the fastest players I’ve seen too, when he catches it and goes, it’s like how the hell did you get there so quick?”

I could feel more and more energy zapping through Harrison as he talked about the skill that Isaiah possesses.

“He’s a freak.”

JuJu Watkins

I couldn’t let Isaiah Collier be the only USC Freshmen phenom Harrison touched on, JuJu Watkins has taken the women’s college basketball scene by storm lately.

“She’s killing it. She’s a really nice person as well.”

I enjoyed the comments made by Harrison about these players’ personality because it would be easy to just rave about their on court ability but he was always quick to take it back to how nice they were.

“She’s just so far and beyond everyone else on the court.”
“No one can guard her.”

But of course she is nice on court as well.

Life after USC

Coming into this chat with Harrison I was excited to talk about life after USC just as much as his current days there.

A selfish part of me would love to see him in Australia playing in the NBL (my full-time work) but one thing is clear, that won’t be happening for at least another year.

“I’m definitely going to get my degree.”

He spoke with enthusiasm about staying all four years at USC, but the enthusiasm didn’t stop at that, the NBL is well and truly on his radar.

“I think you could probably see me playing in the NBL right after college.”

Things we love to hear.

As was his attitude and mature outlook on staying in the moment at this present day.

“Keep your head where your feet are.”
“Just being realistic with yourself and just keep working hard every day and then whatever happens really happens. Just focus on winning for USC now.”

A good head on your shoulders

One thing I confidently took from this conversation was that Harrison has a good head on his shoulders.

To me, he was right when he said he trusted 15 year old him to make some important life decisions because I saw a glimpse of those characteristics in this conversation alone.

“I thank Mum for that. She was always the first one to yell at me after rep games if I had a bad attitude.”

Shout out to Mrs Hornery.

“You really just got to be in the right head space every single time. You’re going to have bad days obviously but it’s how you come back from them.”

Again, a mature approach.

“The pinch me moments, there’s been a lot of those for sure. It makes it easier being here when you’re grateful about it, it gets through the homesickness and everything else.”

Everyone eats

“There’s a saying that we always say: if we win, everyone eats.”

They do say that winning solves everything in sport so it’s pretty likely that winning of some variety will be on most players bucket list.

“One of my goals is to win a Pac-12 championship and make a Final Four.”

No place like home

Speaking of bucket lists, most Aussie athlete’s speak incredibly highly of representing Australia at some point in their careers and Harrison was no exception.

“A goal of mine since I was little is to play for Australia one day.”
“That is definitely priority number one, I want that Australian jersey, it would be really nice.”

Go get that degree Harrison, go get that Pac-12 championship, continue to keep your head where your feet are and hope that it leads you right to the NBL in a couple of years, deal?

“100%, that’s definitely a goal of mine. I just want to be a pro, I’d love to come back to Australia and play.”

A big thanks to Harrison for giving up his time up here, it’s appreciated, as was his ability to be an open book. It was a very enjoyable chat, I got a lot out of it and I hope you did as well. It was a great insight into USC life and who he is too. Thanks to Dave Tuttle from USC for assisting with the interview as well.

Darren Barker 4/11/23 Darren Barker 4/11/23

A Killer On The Inside - Jordin Canada's Big Performance In Melbourne

The 2 x WNBA Champion Jordin Canada walked into a packed stadium in Melbourne and impressed many, including myself as I recap from a photography perspective.

Ahhh, the buzz surrounding the beginning of the regular season. Whether that’s an away opener or a home opener, there’s a big feeling in the air.

Being in Melbourne I’m always keeping tabs on what games in the WNBL and NBL are being played here and I knew I had to be there when I saw Southside Flyers vs Melbourne Boomers on the WNBL opening round schedule.

They are both Melbourne based teams so it would be rude not to call it a rivalry right?

The line to get in was out the door, it was a nice, warm enough Saturday night, the stage was set for a great night of basketball, surely. That’s exactly what it was.

I had my camera with me, I was ready to capture some moments from a hopefully close game. But amusing story…I found it amusing at least, or challenging might be a better word, which I’ll dive into real quick.

Just skip to the pretty photo’s if you like, I won’t be offended.

Running on 20% - a short story
I like to think I’m a pretty organised person, actually I am pretty organised, but every so often we all slip up. This weekend was my turn. Whenever I’m planning to do a shoot of any kind I always prep my batteries and SD cards to make sure I’m all good to go but my preparation failed me here.

After some work shoots in recent days I left the spare batteries and chargers in the office and I was already driving home when I realised. As I switched the camera on before game day it only had around 20-25% left of the battery. Not ideal.

Yes I could have simply gone to the office to collect everything I needed but I actually liked the challenge of this.

I have 20% battery only, to shoot an hour and a half basketball game. Fun.

I knew I had to be way more targeted in terms of when I pulled the camera out and what moments I sensed would make for some good shots. It was actually quite enjoyable, it reminded me of what people describe shooting on film like.

You only have a certain number of shots so use them wisely.

Anyway enough of that, Jordin Canada killed it and I managed to get some shots with a battery on 20%.

**Attention grabbing**

Often when I’m shooting a game my lens has a magnetic pull towards some players.
In amongst the chaos on the floor some players just stand out from the rest on any given night, Jordin Canada was the one tonight.
When I decided that I was going to watch this game live I was already keen to see Canada’s game properly in person and she did not disappoint.

**Calculated**

I found myself eager for Canada to put up more shots at times, you know, get her own, but she was so measured in terms of when it was her time to score and when it was time to play-make and create for others.
It felt like a perfect balance in this game as she knew when her team needed a bucket and her passing was elite at times, it was very fun to watch how she saw the floor.
There was one pass I recall where I was looking down my camera lens too far so I didn’t get the proper appreciation for how good the pass actually was. It was a semi-transition play where she stopped for a moment and whipped a pass perfectly to a cutting teammate for the layup, completely freezing the defense.
If I had zoomed out for a wider shot that would have been the perfect angle but that’s the joy of photography and videography, you aren’t always going to get it right but when you do, it’s a great feeling.

**A new beginning**

This photo made me think of where Jordin Canada was to where she was at this very moment.
Finishing your season with the Los Angeles Sparks in the bright lights of the WNBA to finding yourself centre stage in South East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
I always find these things really cool. Players experiencing new places, new cultures, new stadiums from the opportunities that basketball can provide them.
What this means for them, their families, the relationships they can build and the people they meet - it’s a pretty special thing.

**An eye opening performance**

Watching Canada play for the first time live really put her talent into perspective.
Her *resume* so to speak, tells us who she is but it’s different seeing it for yourself. Jordin has a smoothness to her game. Some players look like they’re exerting a lot of effort out there and some effectively glide around the court making things happen, you can guess which category I think she falls under.

**Unphased but engaged**

Canada’s demeanour was something that caught my eye.
Think Damian Lillard.
A killer on the inside but rarely do you see a ton of emotion. I really like this mindset.

**Goodnight, Melbourne**

This was an amusing moment to me.
Technically an away game for Canada’s Melbourne Boomers, she fouled out and the crowd were humming about the play and as it was only a minute or so left, Jordin knew she’d be walking out of that stadium with the win plus her 15 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists so to me, she couldn’t help but smile.
I’m glad I caught it on camera.

Hey thanks for reading that, I hope you enjoyed this photo journal concept. This was something that I’ve thought about a lot lately. I love telling stories through my photography so I thought it was a good idea to expand on the story and elaborate on the moments that I captured. Feedback of course welcome.