Shyla Heal reveals why she turned down overseas offers to join Townsville after dramatic Flames exit

Star Aussie guard Shyla Heal has revealed she acquired presents to play for abroad golf equipment throughout her mysterious two-week WNBL absence, however says she couldn’t move up the prospect of enjoying beneath Townsville coach Shannon Seebohm once more.

It comes as four-time champion Kelsey Griffin has instructed the WNBL ought to take into account a commerce window following Heal’s contentious late-season group swap.

Heal on Wednesday night time stepped out for Townsville for the primary time this season after a dramatic 24 hours, which noticed her launched by the Sydney Flames – amid the membership’s covert investigation into her dad Shane Heal – and be part of the Fire.

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The 21-year-old wore a No. 9 jersey – with out her identify on the again – and got here off the bench in opposition to the Perth Lynx, contributing seven factors from 20 minutes of recreation time because the Fire registered an important 91-81 victory on the Bendat Basketball Centre.

Heal flew to Perth on Tuesday – regardless that the WNBL hadn’t formally accepted her clearance to the Fire – and joined her new Townsville teammates for coaching after touching down. The Fire, Flames and league then all confirmed Heal’s membership swap had been accepted the subsequent day.

The 168cm participant has signed a contract with the Fire for the rest of the season after a mutual parting of the way with the Flames, who’ve remained silent over an investigation into Shyla’s dad – and now-former coach – Shane. The duo had been absent for Sydney’s three most up-to-date video games, with each opting to not touch upon the character of the probe into the Australian Boomers legend.

Heal was a part of the Fire’s roster throughout the 2020 WNBL hub season and produced a breakout season, claiming the Betty Watson Australian Youth Player of the Year award.

Speaking to ESPN after the Fire’s win over Perth on Wednesday night time, Heal didn’t deal with her departure from Sydney, however mentioned she was delighted to be again enjoying beneath Seebohm on the Fire.

Heal mentioned she’d been working onerous on the courtroom throughout her fortnight away from the Flames as she was anticipating a transfer to an abroad basketball membership.

“I’m feeling really good. It’s great to be back with the Townsville team – I really missed it – and I’m just really glad,” she advised ESPN.

“It was a big decision coming here playing under Shannon, but it was a pretty easy one. I had offers overseas, so I was training every day to go overseas, but then this came up and I just really wanted to play for Shannon again.”

Heal is now broadly thought to be the most effective level guards in Australia, highlighted by constant picks in Opals squads over the previous 12 months. She was taken by the Chicago Sky with Pick 8 within the 2021 WNBA draft, solely to be brutally lower after simply 4 video games.

“I’m really just coming in doing whatever the team needs and playing whatever role they need,” Heal mentioned. “Whether that’s little or big, I’m really excited either way. I’m excited for what’s to come and being with this team.

“I can contribute anyway they need. I can play the one, I can play the two – just anything they need … Hopefully get some wins.”

For a participant to be eligible for WNBL finals, they should have performed not less than one-third of the common season for a similar membership. Townsville, which sits third on the competitors ladder, had seven video games left in its 21-game season previous to Wednesday night time, that means Heal will now be eligible for the Fire’s finals marketing campaign if she performs in all of Townsville’s remaining common season video games.

Speaking on ESPN pre-game on Wednesday night time, Griffin instructed the WNBL ought to now have a look at a participant motion window.

“Maybe this is something where we look to other leagues across the world – EuroLeague, WNBA, NBA – and is it time to maybe have a deadline, a point in the season instead of games played … a date that these acquisitions can occur?” Griffin requested on ESPN.

“Injuries do happen, things do happen where there does need to be movement and needs to be that freedom, but is there a point, if there are a different number of games played, that you create a date so that every team has that equal opportunity?”

Heal’s arrival can be well timed for the Fire in that their two star guards – Steph Reid and Lauren Nicholson – are coping with their very own respective ongoing accidents and are game-to-game prospects.

Seebohm mentioned he was “really happy” to accumulate Heal.

“She’s a great kid. I obviously coached her in the hub. She knows our team really well, knows me really well,” Seebohm advised ESPN.

“Once we’ve got a bit of time to integrate her and hopefully get Steph and Lauren back, we’ll be looking alright.

“For now she’s going to come off the bench – she’s just joined us – and we’ll see what happens after that.”

The Fire and Lynx meet once more in Perth on Saturday night time.