Mortensen likes Eagles' continued growth

Featured image: Mark Filpo (@codexdesignstudio)

Sarah Mortensen has never played an NBL1 West season that hasn’t ended in a championship and she doesn’t plan on that changing in 2026 with the East Perth Eagles as she enjoys seeing the team get better all the time.

Mortensen has played two seasons previously in the NBL1 West at the Cockburn Cougars in 2023 and 2025, and on both occasions she was instrumental in them winning championships while being named to the All-First Team and being a genuine MVP contender both times.

So she was a big coup for new Eagles coach Jonelle Morley when she was building this team for 2026 and now the Danish national team member is only continuing to get better as the season progresses.

Mortensen joined the Eagles for her third NBL1 season fresh off a successful season playing in Greece with AO Amyntas and is now starring including having her first triple double in the league two weeks ago against the Rockingham Flames.

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Mortensen is having a standout season once more with 19.0 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists a game while shooting right on 50 per cent from the field, 40 per cent from deep and 84 per cent at the foul line.

But it's the team performance that is all Mortensen cares about and after being part of history helping the Cougars win a first ever women's championship, she wants to do the same with the Eagles.

She likes the way they are tracking too after last week's trip to Kalgoorlie where the win over the Goldfields Giants improved them to a 12-4 record to remain solid in third place.

"Yeah it was great and great to spend a weekend with the girls, with the coaching staff and doing a bit of bonding on and off the court," Mortensen said.

"It was great to spend that extra time with each other. I think each week we keep getting better and better, and keep growing as a team and after we've had 14 games under our belt, you can start to see that chemistry just building."

Feeling towards end of season

Having just finished a season in Greece that started at the beginning of October and didn’t finish for Mortensen until the end of March, one thing about the NBL1 for her is how quickly it flies by.

All of a sudden there's just four games left in the regular season starting this Friday night against the South West Slammers at home, but what Mortensen likes is how the Eagles are getting better the longer the season goes.

"I feel like the week is pretty long and then you look back and the season is almost over," Mortensen said.

"I think one thing standing out with this team is the chemistry we have and we're slowly getting to know each other more, and our strengths and our weaknesses, and I think that shows with the way that we're playing now.

"Honestly that chemistry just keeps growing and this Kal trip was a great opportunity to just continue to spend a lot of time together, and we enjoy each other's company and we're having a lot of fun."

Personal form with Eagles

While Mortensen is happy enough with how she's playing this season with the Eagles, she also isn’t too fussed about numbers or recognition she does or doesn't receive for anything she does on an individual basis.

What she does care about is winning and making sure she's helping her teammates thriving whether it's capitalising on what Sydney Wright does as point guard, working alongside Stacey Barr, Brooke Malone and Zaya Black on the wing, or helping out Jade Williams on the inside.

"The way I'm playing is another part of that chemistry with the team and I'm really enjoying playing with this group of girls," Mortensen said.

"There's a lot of great players around me and I think in that last game having all starting five in plus-10 points shows the quality of the game and the players that we have."

Embracing new home court

Mortensen loved the home court environment she was part of with the Cougars and has always made sure she's become a big part of the community of any club she's played for around the world.

The Eagles are no different and she loves the family feel at East Perth and also the home court fortress they are creating with just the one loss on Peter Campbell Basketball Arena on so far which just happened to be with Stacey Barr, Jo Odude, Jaymie Symons and McKenna Dale all unavailable.

"I love playing here and when we played against Rocko it showed the difference of playing at home," Mortensen said.

"Just with how the community gets around it, we have a lot of WABL kids coming down and a lot of supporters showing up every home game. It's an honour to play here."

First time playing Cockburn

While Mortensen will also have good memories of her two championship seasons with the Cougars and being part of the Cockburn community, she's also the ultimate competitor.

So she was desperate to win against her former team on her old home floor back on May 15, and she was instrumental on a fast start from the Eagles but in the end it wasn’t quite to be with the Cougars winning by 10.

That has stuck with Mortensen ever since and she can't wait for that return clash in the last game of the regular season against her old team at Morley Sport and Recreation Centre.

"I love the community there at Cockburn and I think even though I was on the other team, they still really got around me," Mortensen said.

"I think at Wally Hagan I have a lot of good memories at that stadium so it was just a good time to be back there.

"It would have been good to get the win so hopefully we can now get it done in the last game. It will be a lot of fun again and a good way to have that game before going into finals."

Another clash with a good friend

While Mortensen is looking forward to that return clash Cockburn, she's also pencilled in next Saturday's match up with the Perth Redbacks.

That will see her have another battle with good friend and 2023 championship teammate Patty Brossmann who is now having a standout season at the Redbacks having joined them fresh off winning a championship in Italy with Costa Masnaga.

Mortensen missed the first meeting this season a month ago but can't wait for that trip to Belmont Oasis next Saturday night.

"Patty is putting up big numbers and playing really, really good basketball at the moment so as a friend I'm super happy for her, and super proud," Mortensen said.

"And I'm excited to see her for the next time we play them for sure."

Life around the world as a professional

Mortensen will always be proudly from Denmark, but the reality is to chase her basketball dreams she has spent desperately little time back home over the past decade.

She had a four-year college career firstly with the University of Miami and then at Villanova, and now life as a professional has seen her more of the world than she ever imagined.

She has now had stints playing in Germany, Spain, Iceland, Poland, Greece and of course, Australia, while also playing with the Danish national team at every possible opportunity.

However, the great positive is seeing so much of the world and meeting people she never otherwise would if it wasn’t because of basketball.

Add in the fact that her parents Rene and Pia along with siblings Daniel and Josefine, have been able to come visit her to different corners of the globe too, and she wouldn't want to be doing anything else.

"Obviously you're missing out on a lot of things going on with the family and spending time with them, but I think for me I just value the time that I get together with my family," Mortensen said.

"I value having families all over the world and connecting with people, and my family back home are great supporters and always just told me to follow my dreams.

"So I couldn’t be happier to be where I am and have the support that I have at home."