Cubillo keeps growing as player, leader, person

Image credit: Mark Filpo (@codexdesignstudio)

The older Abby Cubillo gets the more she realises that she's better at more things than just basketball and her move to Perth has helped that, but she continues to prove she's a mighty fine basketball player too with the East Perth Eagles.

Cubillo took part in two WNBL championships at the UC Capitals but then suffered a cruel blow after the 2022/23 season at the Adelaide Lightning when rupturing her ACL playing in the NBL1 North season at the Brisbane Capitals.

It was a tough road back but she did successfully return at the Southern Districts Spartans last year before playing at the Mainland Pouakai in New Zealand's Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa competition.

Since then she has made the move west to play win the Eagles where she has been instrumental in East Perth's return to playoff action which sees them play the Mandurah Magic in an elimination final this Saturday evening.

But in the bigger picture, Cubillo has learned a lot about herself over the past couple of years and the biggest thing has been that there's a lot more for her to have to offer than just what she does on the basketball court.

Now she is still one of the elite point guards in the country as evidenced by being named to the NBL1 West All-Second Team and perhaps being unlucky not to make the First Team, but her move to Perth has been about more than just playing.

"I feel like I have grown to understand that basketball isn’t the only thing I’m good at," Cubillo said.

"Basketball has given me the opportunity to grow into myself as a leader, but now I am excited to pass that on and mentor the next generation.

"I am currently working for the Stars Foundation here in Perth. It is a program based in schools to holistically support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island students to complete school and support them afterwards.

"It has been so fulfilling to work this role and give myself to something else that I’m really passionate about."

On the court, Cubillo is right back to the peak of her powers as a player from before her knee injury and has delivered 16.7 points, 6.5 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals a game while shooting the three ball at 37.5 per cent.

Her impact has been about much more than just the numbers, though, and she's shown what a terrific floor general she is for the Eagles at both ends of the floor as they prepare to start their finals campaign.

Cubillo is thankful to coach Tim Symons and all her Eagles teammates for how well they've embraced her and how well her first NBL1 season back from injury has gone.

"Yeah, I actually am very happy with how I’ve played this season. I am always a team first kind of girl but it’s nice to be able to perform how I’d like to," Cubillo said.

"Coming back off my ACL was a tough process, but I think I give credit to Tim and the girls for the amount of confidence they’ve instilled in me over the season."

It has been a rollercoaster ride of a season as a team for the Eagles with them winning six of their first seven games which set up their eventual finals appearance despite having lost six of the last eight matches.

East Perth have still done enough to book their place in the finals and now face the Magic in Mandurah on Saturday in a do-or-die affair but Cubillo has full faith in what the Eagles are capable of.

With teammates like Sasha Goodlett, Awatea Leach and Madi Torresin to show the way alongside her, and with help from the likes of Taylor Roberts, Tessa Morrison and Ari van Vliet, and you can understand why.

"Absolutely, we have had a couple of rocky games but finals is a different ball game. We have a big opportunity against Mandurah this weekend and there is definitely a lot of excitement amongst the group," Cubillo said.

"I think we all do feel good going into this game. We all trust in each other and know that everyone will leave everything out on the floor this weekend."

Coming off that ACL injury and then playing in New Zealand at Mainland, Cubillo was open to new opportunities in 2025 and that's what excited her about the chance to play in the NBL1 West for the first time.

She wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but she has loved everything about the experience so far both on a basketball front at East Perth and from a lifestyle point of view in Perth.

"I have enjoyed my time here with East Perth," Cubillo said.

"Tim, the coaching staff and our manager Nic have created such a positive environment for us. And above that, the relationships that I’ve built with my teammates have been wonderful.

"In terms of coming back, I will never say never and I’m sure that once this article goes live Tim will be calling me! Perth has been a great city to live in!"

The 2025 season will also be one that Cubillo treasures for another reason and she might have very well experienced her career high point when captaining the Indigenous Basketball Australia in Melbourne.

They took on New Zealand's Poitukohu Maori o Aotearoa team as well that included her East Perth teammate Awatea Leach, and to be the captain of the Indigenous All Stars team in the first time the game has been held is something Cubillo will cherish forever.

"Playing in and captaining the Inaugural Indigenous All Stars women’s team may have just been the highlight of my career so far," Cubillo said.

"Being able to combine such incredible athletes and weave our culture into the week is something that I will never take for granted.

"It is so important for us to continue to celebrate and showcase the Indigenous talent we have here in Australia so the next generation have lots of opportunities to be successful."