TRIPLE-Olympian Laura Hodges and South Australians devoted to wearing the Lightning colours are top priorities for Chris Lucas’ WNBL return with Adelaide.
The reigning dual-WNBL championship-winning coach with Townsville Fire is home after concluding his duties with New Zealand’s Tall Ferns in Europe and keen to put together a competitive team for Adelaide.
Unlikely to hold trials, Lucas instead plans to see a number of Premier League matches to assess potential roster candidates and attended Saturday’s Norwood-North Adelaide match at Hillcrest Stadium.
“I am going to go to a few games to familiarise myself with the South Australian girls, see how they’re going and work out who is available,” he said.
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READ NOW“If we can find a group of South Australian girls who want to play at that level and play for the Adelaide Lightning, we’ll be off to a positive start.”
Hodges, another homegrown talent who was Opals vice-captain at the 2014 FIBA World Championship, spent last season playing in France.
“I’m catching up with her this week to have a chat when she comes home from the Opals camp,” Lucas said.
“Right now though, Laura is trying to make the (Opals) team for the Rio Olympics and we have to respect that as her first priority.”
If successful, Hodges, 32 and 189cm, would join an elite group of Lauren Jackson, Kristi Harrower and Sandy Brondello as a four-time Opals Olympian.
The WNBL’s 2015-16 Rookie of the Year, Alex Ciabattoni and multi-talented rebounder Jess Good already have been retained.
After assisting Jan Stirling, Lucas held the MAC Adelaide Lightning reins from 2004-07, compiling a 44-26 win-loss record, always reaching the post-season.
In his five years at the helm of the Fire, Townsville reached the post-season every year, the grand final for the past four and won the past two championships.
He left Townsville with an 86-44 record is 130-70 as a head coach. Regarded as the top coach in the WNBL, between his Adelaide and Townsville stints, he assisted Carrie Graf at Canberra Capitals to be part of three grand finals and two championships.
Perth coach Andy Stewart, whose Lynx were runners-up to Lucas’ Fire last season, also was in Adelaide at the weekend, watching the South Adelaide-West Adelaide match at Marion with Wildcats general manager Nick Marvin.
Bearcats junior Tahlia Fejo is believed to be a target for a development player contract.