Anstey: Podium potential, lucky to have Olympians as parents, college ready

BANGKOK (Thailand) - Izzy Anstey is carving her own path towards sporting success with Australia and that's essential for a smart young athlete who could easily feel the pressure of a rich sporting heritage.

With both of her parents former Olympians, Anstey is arguably under the microscope more than most in terms of own her career development. But so far at least, the center is making significant and impressive strides forward as she looks to get among the medals at the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2019.

PODIUM POTENTIAL

Australia now find themselves within one win of the Semi-Finals in Bangkok after something of a mixed bag so far. This was perfectly encapsulated in their stuttering performance against Colombia during the Round of 16, with Anstey aware the pieces are not quite falling perfectly into place just yet, ahead of their Quarter-Final clash with Mali.

She said: "It was important that we produced the all-around team orientated game that Australia like to play. We looked inside as much as we could and used that to then develop some outside looks.

"We don't look to individuals too much and usually we rely on our team strengths; which as you saw, we used to really grind out an important win against Colombia."

She continued: "Obviously Mali are extremely athletic as most African teams normally are these days, so we need to get the fundamentals right from the start for this next test that we have. We need to make sure we are all competing physically, boxing out and doing those key basic things before thinking about anything else.

"What is important is that we keep trusting the process, trusting each other as teammates and we continue to believe in what we can achieve together as a team. Of course, we would like to play even better, but for the moment, we just need to keep pulling together and  we're pretty excited about the possibilities in front of us," she added.

If Australia do manage to get onto the podium, it would be a second consecutive global medal for Anstey. She was part of the Sapphires team who took bronze last year at the FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup in Belarus - something that the player will always cherish dearly.

"Minsk was my first international tournament and it was such an eye-opener for me," she explained.

 
"It was a great experience as you get to see where your country sits on the world stage. It was an incredible group of girls that I got to play with.

"Obviously it was great taking a medal and actually getting something that you had set out to achieve, but to be honest, I got just as much pleasure from being with such a great group of girls. Having that bond off the court definitely contributed to getting the wins we needed on the floor."

LUCKY TO HAVE OLYMPIC PARENTS

 
As Anstey searches for another medal to add to her collection, her father Chris has been watching and supporting her every move in the Thai capital. The former NBA player and double Olympian, who also played at the FIBA Basketball World Cup with the Boomers, is not difficult to spot because of his incredible height.

With Anstey herself an imposing presence, the similarities are striking. Yet as with any player who has a famous sibling or parent(s), it can sometimes prove somewhat wearing to be continually spoken about in the same breath - although Anstey quickly shrugged off this notion.

"I always embrace conversations that I end up having about my dad," she insisted.

"Especially because he was such an awesome player and is always there watching me in the stands. He gets my confidence up all the time since he knows what to tell me when things are going wrong. Plus, when things are going right, he is a grounding force for me in terms of how I play and think about the game.

"I never feel like I am being compared too much to be honest and I am absolutely fine with this concept of following in my dad's footsteps.

"Maybe this is because I never had any pressure whatsoever to play and it just came naturally. It was something that I really loved to do after growing up around the court. Basketball was always a part of my life and I am really happy it still is," added Anstey.

 
Meanwhile in a country where swimming is right at the top of the list in terms of sporting prestige, Anstey's mom Linley Frame also held a significant profile for quite some time, competing in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and delivering global success.

"Yeah, my mom was a swimmer and a World Champion, so she has always been tough both on and off the court," said Anstey.

"She has this never give-up mindset that you need not only in sport, but in everyday life. That is mostly what I take from her and together, with what I learn from them both, I feel very lucky to have the parents that I have.

"It's is not even about it being a case of dad plays basketball and mom is a swimmer. It's just that they bring together the whole package for me with all the advice they can give me as a young athlete and for sure, they both know exactly what they are talking about.

"That is of course on top of being a mom and dad away from the sporting stuff, which is of course the main thing."

COLLEGE READY

When speaking to Anstey, the satisfaction she gets in respect of the accomplishments of her parents is matched by the passion and appetite she has to learn. She may be carving out the possibility of a career in basketball, but the mere mention of her reputation as a fine student and her eyes light up.

"I am in year 12 in Melbourne at the moment facing the last few months of school and I will most likely go to college overseas next year," smiles Anstey, as she contemplates approaching a crunch and exciting juncture in her life.

"I really want to continue with my education because there is a lot to consider as well as basketball, so it is important that I knuckle down with that.

"I'd definitely be interested in the NCAA," she adds with a confirmatory nod of the head, as she signs off to go and see her immensely proud dad, who's waiting patiently in the arena.

FIBA