Melbourne Drafted to WNBA but Committed to the Ballart Miners

The Ballarat Miners welcomed Jade Melbourne to Ballarat last week just a day after she was drafted by Seattle Storm with pick 33 in the WNBA draft.

Melbourne arrived in Ballarat off a successful season with the Canberra Capitals in the WNBL, averaging 9.3 points and 1.2 assist per game during the season, while helping the team to a WNBL semi-finals berth.

As Seattle Storm drafted Melbourne, they do own the rights to her and can call upon her at any stage but for the time being, the communication between Melbourne and Seattle has been that they would like Melbourne to stay in Australia and continue to develop her game for at least the next 12 months.

This means that Melbourne will be staying in Ballarat and she is thrilled to get to work with the Ballarat Miners saying “I am super excited to have been drafted to Seattle however I am not going over there immediately, I’ll be staying in Australia and in particular Ballarat to continue to develop my game”

Melbourne added, “Ballarat is the best place for me right now, the basketball facilities, the gym, and the personnel are exactly what I need to take my game further and that is why I chose to come to Ballarat.”

Whilst in Ballarat, Melbourne will be sponsored by local company Sixt Ballarat which will see Melbourne driving around town in one of the Sixt rental cars.

Ballarat Miners Chair Cameron Moore said “Jade is such a talented athlete and she very much deserves this great achievement of being drafted to the WNBA”

Moore added, “Fortunately for the Ballarat Miners and our wider community, Jade will be staying in Australia to further develop her game and she has chosen Ballarat to be that place”.

Melbourne will debut for the Ballarat Miners in the Coles Express NBL1 South season-opening game against regional rivals Geelong Supercats at Selkirk Stadium on Saturday April 23^rd. Tickets can be purchased via TICKETEK