Kelly Wilson – In A League Of Her Own (450 Games)
Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images
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.”