Madi eyes NBL1 return in 'dirty 30' season

Featured image: Dan Cowley | @imagesby_dan

Madi Torresin has already ticked off playing NBL1 North, West and Central, and hopes to be back down under in 2027, and having just turned 30, she might very well be at the peak of her powers based on her current form at GC Zurich.

On the back of a short stint to close out the 2026 NBL1 Central season with the Eastern Mavericks where she did her best to help a struggling outfit be competitive, Torresin has now just turned 30 and thriving in her 'dirty 30' season in Switzerland.

The Canadian left-handed forward has already crammed plenty into her professional career after her college time at West Chester University including stints in the NBL1 North with the Rockhampton Cyclones, the West at the East Perth Eagles, and this year in the Central at the Mavericks.

She's also played in Germany, Cyprus, Greece, Portugal, Luxembourg and Sweden, and currently is making her first stop in Switzerland and has made an instant impact on a GC Zurich team having just been promoted to the Swiss Basketball League (SBLW).

Torresin is fresh off being named SBLW Player of the Week after her standout performance in a big win over Pully where she delivered 32 points, seven rebounds, six steals and five assists on 8/15 shooting from the field, 5/10 from deep and 11/15 at the foul line.

The other two games have been a little tougher for her team, but still over the season so far she's producing 24.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.7 steals and 3.0 assists while shooting 50 per cent overall, 41 from downtown and 77 at the stripe.

Having just turned 30, it certainly seems to be agreeing with her, but she's already eyeing off a return to play somewhere in the NBL1 in 2027 and hopefully for a longer stint than just the last six games that she was here for at the Mavs in 2026.

"Yeah, I’d definitely be keen to come back and play in NBL1," Torresin said from Zurich.

"I’d be open to playing pretty much anywhere, as long as it’s the right situation and I can enjoy myself and contribute to the team. I’d definitely be interested."

Looking back on this past NBL1 Central season where Torresin joined the Mavericks, it was a tough situation to walk into and didn’t necessarily get any better once she arrived with plenty of coaching and player movements all along.

She managed to end up playing just the six games where she produced 12.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.0 steals across those.

It might have not been the easiest environment to walk into where in reality, she was on board just to try and help them be competitive more than anything, but she was still glad for another chance to Australia and to play in another state for the first time.

"It was only a short stint and, obviously, a difficult situation to come into, but I was still really grateful for the opportunity to be back in Australia," Torresin said.

"Despite the circumstances, it was a valuable experience, and it was great to spend some time there and experience Australia again.

"Australia has always felt like a second home to me, so it’s always nice to come back."

Torresin has now played with Rockhampton in 2022, East Perth on two separate stints in 2023 and 2025, and then the Mavericks in 2026, so she has got to experience playing in Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia.

Maybe she's trying to tick off every state in the country so the NBL1 East and South might be next up on her bucket list, but overall she does enjoy the chance to live in Australia and play the style of basketball in the NBL1.

"Haha, I guess I’m slowly trying to tick them all off!" Torresin said.

"I’ve really enjoyed being able to experience different parts of Australia through NBL1. The biggest difference compared to Europe is probably the style and the amount of basketball you play.

"Europe is a lot more structured and tactical, whereas NBL1 can be a bit more free flowing. But I enjoy both for different reasons!"

Torresin now has walked into a whole new experience not only playing in Switzerland for the first time, but playing at a club on GC Zurich that has now just been promoted to the top division of the SBLW.

She couldn’t be happier with the environment she has now joined both in terms of a place to live and the team she's part of. While putting up good numbers is nice, it's about much more than that.

"It’s been a really good start for us, especially getting the first win early in the season and then being able to build from that. I’m really enjoying the team, the league and living in Zurich, so I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better start," she said.

"Yeah, obviously it’s always nice when the numbers are there, but I’m even happier with how the team is coming together and finding ways to win.

"I worked really hard in the off-season to put myself in a good position, so it’s nice to see that work paying off. I’m really enjoying it so far.

"The team has been really welcoming, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know the girls, learning how they play and adjusting to a new league and style of basketball."

Torresin is also getting to tick off another thing from her bucket list by getting to live in Switzerland too. The places in the world basketball has taken her is now certainly one of the best parts about this life of playing professionally.

"I’ve always wanted to play here, so being able to get paid to play basketball in Switzerland is a pretty good deal!" Torresin said.

"I’ve really enjoyed the experience so far, and it’s pretty nice being able to visit the Alps on a casual day off. I definitely can’t complain about waking up here and getting to do what I love for a living."

Torresin might have already crammed plenty into her career going all the way back to college and now playing around the world since 2019, but she might not have even reached her peak yet.

Having just turned 30, Torresin has worked hard to be in the best shape of her life, and her form at Zurich backs it up. She has every reason to think she has plenty of basketball still in front of her.

"It’s dirty 30 season!" Torresin said.

"But yes, I definitely still feel like I have a lot of basketball left in me. I feel like I’ve gotten better with age, so why not keep playing until my legs fall off at this point haha.

"I’ve been playing at a high level for a long time, but I still love the game and I’m motivated to keep improving each season and seeing where basketball can take me. Hopefully, there are plenty more years to come!"