Wilson shoots to Player of the Week

Dandenong's Carly Wilson has a lot of trademarks to her name – pink socks, long blonde hair and her killer smile. And now she has a Virgin Blue Player of the Week award to back it all up, after being named as the best player in Round 9 of the Price Attack Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL).

23-year-old Wilson had 26 points at 62% in the Dandenong Rangers’ 68-53 win over the Sydney Uni Flames on Saturday night, helping her team recover from only their second defeat of the season at the hands of the Townsville Fire on Friday night.

After a ‘Magic Johnson’ like left hand hook from Wilson helped her team to a 25-23 half time lead against the Flames, she poured in three of her team’s four long bombs for the third period, giving the Rangers a potentially terminal thirteen-point buffer.

In 38 minutes on the floor, the guard had four of six three pointers to help her to her total of 26, an assist, two blocked shots and a steal, making her the undeniable match standout.

“Carly was key for us tonight,” Rangers coach Gary Fox said after the game.

In Friday night’s 13-point loss to Townsville, Wilson tried desperately to get her team over the line, and finished the match with 17 points and three assists in 33 well-played minutes.

Wilson is an Opals squad member and will trial for the Commonwealth Games team in Melbourne from December 11–14.

Players of the Week will be announced every Tuesday throughout the season with the 2005/06 League MVP being presented with a trip for two courtesy of Virgin Blue and the WNBL at the end of the season.

Other players in contention for the award in Round 9 were Katrina Hibbert (Bulleen Melbourne), Alana Beard (Canberra), Erin Phillips (Adelaide), Jasmine Finnigan (Perth) and Jennifer Crouse (Townsville).