By Tara Murray
Keilor Thunder star Issie Bourne received not one, but two unexpected call ups in the lead up to the National Basketball League 1 South season.
Having just finished the WNBL season with the Adelaide Lightning, Bourne received her first call up to an Australian Opals squad.
It was quickly followed by being picked to represent Australia at the FIBA 3×3 Champions Cup
Bourne said the Opals selection wasn’t something that she had expected
“It took me a second to just sit there and take it all in,” she said. “I think it came at an unexpected time.
“I sat there and was really happy for me. I know how hard I have worked for that and it was a very surreal moment.
“Pretty special for me.”
Bourne said she wasn’t putting too much expectation on herself at the Opals camp and it was about taking everything in.
With her focus on Opals selection, Bourne said the selection for the Gangurrus squad was completely unexpected.
“It’s pretty surreal at the moment,” she said. “I feel super grateful and lucky I’ve sacrificed and worked really hard to get there. It is exciting to try new things like 3×3.
“It will only help my career. I’m grateful and motivated.”
It was Bourne’s second time representing Australia in 3×3. Her first was as a 16-year-old in 2017 when she was named most valuable player of the tournament.
Bourne said heading into the Champions Cup it felt like she hadn’t played before.
“It wasn’t really on my radar,” she said. “I enjoy it and I always wanted to play it again, my focus has always been Opals, 5×5, for that to come up I was definitely interested really excited to be asked to play.
“It was fun. I could see how much the game has grown in the short time that I have been away, it’s becoming huge and it’s a really tough game.
“It’s really different to 5×5, so learning different tactics and stuff. I really enjoyed learning a new game, meeting some new people and getting a feel for it was fun.”
Speaking ahead of her second season with the Thunder, Bourne feels like she’s bought back a lot from the WNBL.
She said she’s growing in every way and feeling really good.
Bourne started the NBL1 South season on fire in the opening round.
In game one, Bourne scored 39 points and eight rebounds, before having 24 points and eight rebounds in a blow out win.
Bourne enters the season as the league’s reigning most valuable player.
“I try not to think about that too much,” she said of expectations on herself.
“I try to focus on winning and winning with the Keilor Thunder. I’m very team oriented and team focused.
“I don’t want to focus on individual stuff, it is cool to get that stuff but it’s not really what matters to me, what matters to me is winning.”
