Tara Murray
Keilor Thunder has signed a second Japanese import for the National Basketball League South 1 season.
The Thunder announced that they had signed NBL1 East All-Star five member and conference champion Ai Yamada.
The Japanese point guard star averaged 19 points, 5.7 assists and four rebounds a game alongside Australian legend Lauren Jackson.
Yamada played with the BBC Nyon in the Swiss Basketball League after the 2022 NBL1 season, where in 16 games she averaged 16 points and 5.3 assists.
Yamada joins her fellow country woman Juna Umezawa in joining the Thunder this season.
Umezawa is a 6’2 Japanese national with a wide range of experience on the international and local level.
Umezawa is currently playing in the Japanese division 1 league and has represented her nation at the under-17, under-18, under-19 and senior women’s level.
The pair will be welcomed additions for the Thunder that is sitting 1-2 after the first two rounds, despite being under strength while waiting for its imports.
The Thunder got its first win of the season in round two against the Ballarat Miners, winning 64-54 with Grace Graham top scoring with 17 points.
The Thunder wasn’t able to back it up the following day, losing to the Melbourne Tigers 81-52, led by Women’s National Basketball League star Jade Melbourne.
Thunder skipper Lana Hollingsworth top scored with 23 points in the loss.
The Thunder were back in action on Saturday night in round against the Mt Gambier Pioneers, after deadline. It will be a tough challenge with the Pioneers sitting undefeated on top of the ladder.
The Thunder men’s team, which was sitting 2-1, also made the trek to Mt Gambier to face the Pioneers on the weekend.
The Pioneers men also entered the match undefeated.
