Emerging Aussie Stars Locked & Loaded

PORT MORESBY (Papua New Guinea) – As the FIBA U17 Oceania Women’s Championship draws nearer, the spotlight is heating up on an Australian phenomenon ready to shine, Saffron Shiels.

Saffron Shiels is obsessed with basketball.

“I ask her what else interests her outside of basketball, and she doesn’t say much yet,” Australian Head Coach, Kristen Veal said. “She’s just like, ‘nah, just basketball.’  She has an elite mindset. That’s what makes her special.”

Shiels is a 6-foot-1 17-year-old combo guard from Newcastle, New South Wales. In July, she inked her first professional contract, signing with the Townsville Fire of Australia’s WNBL.

“She plays with joy and freedom,” said Veal, a WNBL and WNBA alum herself. “She has a natural flair for the game that will only get better with age.”

Shiels attended the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence program, where her development skyrocketed, earning her spot on the international stage with the green and gold, recently debuting for the Opals in their friendly series against China.

Shiels also represented Australia at the 2023 FIBA Under-19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Madrid, Spain.  Prior to that, she has appeared in the 2022 FIBA U18 Women’s Asian Championship, the 2022 FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup and the 2022 FIBA U16 Women’s Asian Championship, posting sensational numbers, including 11 points, 7.7 rebounds and five assists per game at the most recent FIBA Asian Championship.

Shiels’ father, Peter “Stretch” Shiels, is a former Australian rugby league footballer. From 1993-2002, he played for the Penrith Panthers, Western Reds, Newcastle Knights and Western Suburbs — and it seems he’s passed on toughness to his daughter.

“She’s a bit reserved, but she’s got a quiet confidence,” Veal said. “Being from Newcastle, they raise them tough out there.”

Shiels joins a Team Australia group that has impressed Veal with its tenacity, particularly on the defensive end.

The Australian squad is tenacious, confident, and hungry for success.

“We’re going to be really exciting defensively,” Veal said. “We’re still discovering who we are as a team, but they buy in on defence. They’re athletic, can get to the ball quick and can recover quickly. That allows us to get funky with our schemes.”

Monique Bobongie, Teyahna Bond and Lara Somfai are all names to watch, per Veal.

“Lara is a wing with nice skillset and a strong body,” Veal said.

This Australia roster is unique in that the players braved COVID lockdowns during their prime developmental years.

“This is the COVID generation,” Veal said. “It’s the young kids who went through COVID and were starved of competition. This team has a lot of quiet confidence. They’re locked in.”

When the Oceania Championships tip off in Port Moresby, Veal knows her team will rise to the occasion.

“We don’t take any tournament lightly,” Veal said. “This group has so much capacity to focus and learn. I haven’t seen that in a young group in a long time.”

The 2023 FIBA U17 Oceania Championships will be hosted by the Basketball Federation of Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby at Sir John Guise Stadium, October 2 to 6.  The Championships serve as the first step in the qualification process to the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup.  The top two placed teams at the 2023 FIBA U17 Oceania Championships qualify to the 2024 FIBA U18 Asian Championships.

FIBA