Bears the focus right now in hectic Garlepp life

Featured image: Rob Sheeley/@robshots

Renae Garlepp is part of a household with two NBL1 East head coaches, she's getting ready for a first full WNBL season in the role, is trying to complete a perfect Norths Bears season and is facing an old foe now she's about work with at the Sydney Flames.

The word super mum gets thrown around a lot but you might be hard pressed to find many women who fit the ball better than Garlepp who has more going on in life than most mere mortals might be able to juggle.

To start with, on the home front she married into the Garlepp family so having to look after a husband in Tom is enough for anyone who just happens to be coaching the Bears men's team and is also coach of the Australian Sapphires U17s team, and is a former Sydney Kings NBL captain.

Then the couple have two basketball mad sons, Hunter and Max, who have now also started playing representative basketball with Norths and that's not even taking into account yet that Renae is head coach of two teams at once.

She's currently in charge still at the Bears in the NBL1 East with them having put together a perfect 21-0 season up to this point ahead of hosting the defending champion Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the preliminary final this Saturday.

Not only that, but Renae has been appointed head coach at the Sydney Flames in the WNBL having taken over last season in a caretaker capacity so for the first time she's had to build a roster and now be getting ready to get that group together and start pre-season training.

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Life might be hectic, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

"I’d say life is pretty busy right now, it’s been a huge six months, but it’s also been a really fun and rewarding kind of busy," Garlepp said.

"With the kids playing rep basketball as well, we’ve had four teams at Norths across the family, so lots has been going on. But they’ve loved it, and we’ve had a lot of fun along the way."

Two head coaches in the one house

The life as one head coach can be all consuming enough let alone in Renae's case coaching two separate teams at NBL1 and WNBL levels, but then throw in a husband also coaching the men's Bears team and his Australian duties, and it's significantly magnified.

It might be tough to go through too many moments at home where basketball isn’t at the forefront especially with sons Max and Hunter now playing at Norths too.

But with both Bears teams in home preliminary finals this Saturday against the Sea Eagles and Central Coast Crusaders, having that success certainly makes the juggling act easier.

"I'd like to say we switch off our coaching minds, but the reality is probably very rarely," Garlepp said.

"It's a lot of basketball and a lot of basketball talk, and it's been a lot of fun this year to be able to coach NBL1 and to share the success the club has had.

"But also just to go through it together and find ways that both teams could be better and where we can help each other, that too has been a lot of fun.

"Both the men's and women's teams have really enjoyed each other's company this year and we've both enjoyed the people we have been fortunate to work with, and watching each other play.

"The cool part for us as well is that our kids just love going to the Bears and that's a highlight for them too. So all in all, it's been a really fun year."

Season couldn’t have been better so far

The fact that both Bears NBL1 East teams are performing so well is something that Renae knows that given herself and her husband are head coaches, is something to cherish.

Having a husband and wife coaching teams at all is rare enough, but to be doing it at the one NBL1 club and then to both have home preliminary finals is something that isn’t going to occur too often.

But she also knows it's a lot more than just her and Tom responsible for the success Norths are experiencing.

"It’s definitely rare, and I think that’s what makes it so special. We understand how difficult it is to reach this point of the season, so we don’t take it for granted," Garlepp said.

"We’re incredibly fortunate at Norths, and a lot of credit must go to our CEO, Eric Stephens. He’s done an amazing job building the club and creating such a great atmosphere on game nights. I’m genuinely grateful to be part of it."

Yet another battle with Manly

While many might have been expecting the Bears and Sea Eagles to renew their NBL1 East women's rivalry in a Grand Final this year, it's a come a week early with this Saturday night's preliminary final at The Cave.

The teams played just the once in the regular season and that was back on July 10 with Norths prevailing 77-66 on the back of the Bears knocking out Manly Warringah in 2024 on the back of also beating them in the 2023 Grand Final.

But the Sea Eagles are the defending champions still and booked their preliminary final spot by beating the Newcastle Falcons on Sunday with Garlepp fully aware how tough a test it will be if the Bears want to reach a second Grand Final in four years.

"They're the reigning champs and they've had an incredible season this year too, they've done really well coming off winning it last year," Garlepp said.

"So it's going to be no doubt a tough game like it has been for the last five years every single time we come up against them.

"It's always big and that's purely because they've got a lot of talent, they're well coached and they play really well together."

Embracing or ignoring the perfect record

Teams across the country have had mixed success converting undefeated regular season records in finals in the NBL1 in recent years including Jaz Shelley at Geelong United in the NBL1 South last year losing for the first time in the Grand Final.

But the Cockburn Cougars in the NBL1 West won their championship without taking a loss while back in 2024 in the East the Albury Wodonga Bandits were 20-0 in the regular season before losing in straight sets.

Then even this year, the Cairns Marlins went through the NBL1 North season 16-0 but then were unceremoniously bundled out on Saturday night by the 8-8 Ipswich Force.

But none of that is relevant to Garlepp and the Bears as they prepare to host the Sea Eagles this Saturday night with a Grand Final spot on the line.

"To be honest, we haven’t really spoken about it much. The only time we acknowledged it was after the final game of the regular season, when we congratulated the group on a great regular season," Garlepp said.

"But that record doesn’t win our next game for us. We’ve never looked too far ahead, we’ve stayed focused on getting a little better each week, winning the next possession and preparing for the next game.

"We will trust the work we’ve put in, then focus on being present and doing our best. That’s all I can ask, and all we can control."

Having the MVP leading the way

While a lot of the core for Garlepp at the Bears has remained in 2026 including Issy Morgan, Peggy Schell, Caitlyn Martin and Emma Donnelly have remained, the two big additions have been Talya Brugler and Jaz Shelley.

Brugler is in her first season down under and has delivered 18.3 points and 9.0 rebounds a game while Shelley joined the Bears after being the NBL1 South MVP at Geelong in 2025.

She's gone on to produce 24.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 4.4 steals and 1.5 blocks a game while shooting the three ball at 42 per cent with Garlepp understandable full of praise.

"She’s been a lot of fun to work with. Having never coached Jaz before she arrived, I didn’t really know what to expect," Garlepp said.

"But from the moment we met, it was clear she was incredibly driven and had an outstanding work ethic, and you can’t go too far wrong with that.

"Since joining us, she’s had a huge impact. She makes the people around her better, and I think she’s really enjoyed being part of this group as well.

"We’re fortunate to have a team that works hard, genuinely supports one another and constantly pushes each other to improve. Jaz complements that environment perfectly, she’s the ultimate professional, has been a fantastic addition to our group."

Having Bears and Flames player connections

The other great bonus of Garlepp and Shelley teaming up at the Bears this NBL1 East season is that they now have that chemistry as coach and player all locked away for the WNBL season at the Flames where Garlepp also is coaching and Shelley is on board having crossed from the Geelong Venom.

"In any environment where you can get more connection points with your players, it definitely helps," Garlepp said.

"I think for me getting to know her this year before she comes in at the Flames and figuring out what makes her go, and what she needs and when she needs it, I've really enjoyed that.

"It's been a lot of fun and I look forward to continuing that through the WNBL season now too."

Getting to build a WNBL roster for first time

Having been thrust into the caretaking role with the Sydney Flames last WNBL season midway through, Garlepp has now been able to recruit and build a for the first time this off-season.

While it's been a stressful period just trying to figure out the style she wants to play and the players she wants to fit, and then trying to get them locked away, she has enjoyed the whole process having got to do it for the first time as the woman in charge.

"It’s a funny time of year, it’s exciting, stressful and time-consuming, often all at once," Garlepp said.

"But more than anything, I’ve really enjoyed working through what we want the Flames to look like, the direction we want to take and which players best fit that vision.

"One of the most enjoyable parts has been speaking with players and hearing what they’re looking for in a program, what matters to them and where they want to grow. From there, it’s about making sure the fit is right for both the player and the club. I’ve genuinely enjoyed that entire process."

Getting to work with the Flames

While a lot of Garlepp's focus now is on the Bears and trying to win a second championship in four years, the plans are in place for the Flames to get ready for the WNBL season too that's creeping up all the time and she can't wait to get to work.

"I'm definitely looking forward to getting the group together and getting all the new players, and staff together and seeing what it all looks like," Garlepp said.

"That will be a lot of fun and it still feels so far away because hopefully we've still got a bit of basketball to be played first, but we'll see how the rest of the NBL1 season goes and then get stuck into it."

Having this week's foe on coaching staff

Not only did Garlepp get to build a WNBL playing roster for the first time, but also a coaching staff and she is excited by the time she'll have around her that will include a familiar foe from this Saturday's NBL1 East preliminary final.

"We have Kaleb (Sclater) from the Tigers in the South and then Macs Monk is back and Danielle D'Morias who coaches at Hills and then Nate Kirwan from Manly making up our staff," Garlepp said.

"Nate and I have coached against each other for a long time now with the Norths and Manly generally getting to play each other at the point so it's always a lot of fun going against him and will be nice to be on the same side."