Wright already motivated for 2027 from Ireland

Featured image: @codexdesignstudio, Mark Filpo

A first standout season in the NBL1 West has led Sydney Wright to an opportunity with the Limerick Huskies in Ireland but she's already determined to continue to build on what the East Perth Eagles started in 2026.

Wright was one of a host of new faces brought in at the Eagles for the 2026 NBL1 West season under Coach of the Year Jonelle Morley to set up a whole new culture from the ground up and that was built for sustained success.

Things came together tremendously, and the Eagles reached the preliminary final before falling to the defending champion and regular season champion Cockburn Cougars at Wally Hagan Stadium.

There was a lot to be proud of, but also for Wright and all her teammates including Stacey Barr, Sarah Mortensen, Brooke Malone and Zaya Black they were left with a feeling of unfinished business by the end of the season.

In the meantime, there are other off-season opportunities opening up on and off the court with captain Barr having recently got married while Mortensen and McKenna Dale are playing together in New Zealand, and Malone is now a WNBL development player at the Perth Lynx.

Wright has also already settled into a new home playing with the Limerick Huskies who compete in Basketball Ireland's Women's Division One National League.

It's been a perfect start already for the Huskies winning their opening two games and Wright has been a key contributor to that, and couldn't be happier with how this new opportunity opened up for her.

"I'm super excited about this new opportunity in Ireland and of course it's another opportunity to just grow my career, and travel," Wright said.

"I actually was looking for new opportunities to continue playing after this NBL1 season and to be honest I just started searching and putting my resume out there, and contacting different agents.

"Crossover Management had this deal in Ireland and it just seemed like a good fit so I kinda got lucky and it was definitely late in my process in terms of finding the next gig but I definitely got lucky there."

 

 

Eagles season opening up doors

Having spent time in college at Utah Valley University and Western New Mexico University, Wright played in the NBL1 North at the Rockhampton Cyclones and then back home in Adelaide at the Central Districts Lions in 2025.

But she was open to other opportunities around the country in 2026 when new Eagles coach Morley called and wanted her on board as her point guard as she took over ahead of the new NBL1 West season.

It was a tremendous opportunity for Wright to take on the role as a starting point guard on what turned out to be a championship contending team where she delivered 14.5 points, 4.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds a game.

She has no doubt that put her name up there for potential new teams especially throughout Europe for the NBL1 off-season.

"I think the season that I just had with East Perth definitely opened up a lot of doors for me overseas and the trust and confidence that my coaches and teammates poured into me definitely allowed me to play my style of basketball, and to play my game," Wright said.

"I think that for a player that does a lot in terms of your self-growth and career growth so without them encouraging me and believing me I definitely don't think I'd feel as confident walking into new opportunities as what I did.

"But even just having an ability to play in such a unique season in the sense that NBL1 is played during the summer time creates a lot of opportunities that you might not otherwise get for seasons that are playing throughout the winter."

 

 

Unfinished business back at East Perth

Looking back on the season with the Eagles and Wright has no trouble saying it was the most favourite season she's been part of.

The combination of the role she had and how well she played, how strongly the team performed for a 15-5 regular season record and then playing three finals, and then connection within the group, all created a special environment.

And now Wright and a lot of her teammates are already looking forward to building on what they did in the first season together in 2027.

"The season we just had at East Perth was my favourite so far. The bond that myself and the girls had with one another considering we were all new I think is super rare," Wright said.

"We just all clicked and we all genuinely enjoyed each other's presence and that definitely transferred on the court.

"We pushed each other, we challenged each other and still had a lot of belief and encouragement for one another know that whatever happens between those four lines, as soon as we walk off the court we're back to being best friends.

"That does a lot and it was fun to be part of, and I think we will all have a little chip on our shoulder going into next season after it didn’t finish the way we would have hoped.

"I still think there's a ton to be proud of considering we were a new group and we're building a new culture with new coaches and a new club for most of us.

"So that was a great season and as a unit, I think we're all excited about what the future holds and we all know the areas we can be better in which is important moving on," she added.

"I give a lot of credit to Jonelle for putting that group together because I know it was very important for her to make sure we picked the right personalities and leaders, and bringing together girls from different backgrounds and who have had different experiences.

"A lot of time went into that and I think ultimately that's why we were able to gel the way that we did."

Finding a perfect late UK destination

Once the NBL1 West season finished for East Perth, Wright knew she didn’t want to have to wait until March next year to play high-level basketball again.

She wasn’t sure exactly where she would land, but once the opportunity opened up to head to Ireland and join the Limerick Huskies, she was quick to sign on and couldn’t be happier now as she settles in.

"The team I'm joining, the Limerick Huskies, they had a successful season last year winning the Cup in their division and fortunately enough they are bringing back pretty much the exact same team that they had last year including the Player of the Year," Wright said.

"We brought in a brand new coach who's full of ideas and full of life, and likes to play a fast brand of basketball, which, of course, I'm used to after playing for Jonelle Morley at East Perth.

"So it's exciting and fun, and we're looking to win a couple more games this year and take it all the way, and win the championship as well which is always the goal.

"It's a great group of girls and a great program, and I'm super excited to see what we can do with this season."

Ties in perfectly for NBL1 season

The best part about playing this season in Ireland is that it will lead perfectly into the 2027 NBL1 season for Wright too so for a whole host of reasons it's the ideal destination for her to land.

"The timeline of the UK leagues and NBL1 is super convenient and this league in Ireland finishes just around the time that NBL1 starts," Wright said.

"So it's pretty much going from one season to another and that can be a bit tough on the body, but at the same time it keeps you in shape and you don't miss out on any basketball so it is very convenient."

Big congratulations to captain

Back home, not only have a lot of Wright's East Perth teammates moved on to playing elsewhere in the off-season, but her captain has had a life-changing moment too.

Stacey Barr recently got married to long-time partner Ash and Wright couldn’t be happier for both of them.

"Huge congratulations to Stacey and Ash, they are an absolutely beautiful couple," Wright said.

"From everything that I've seen the wedding looked amazing, and they both looked outstanding.

"We consider Ash just as much part of our Eagles family as we do Stacey so I know that definitely myself and all the girls are so happy for them. We wish them all the best with their future together."