NBL1 West MVPs Alex Sharp (Willetton Tigers) and Andrew Ferguson (Perry Lakes) both spoke to the NBL1 Show following their remarkable team and individual feats.
ALEX SHARP
Q: Congratulations on the championship. How have the past few days been?
A: It’s been a whirlwind. It was such an amazing win for us and the girls. It’s such a great feeling to celebrate it with people that you really love.
Q: Last time we had you on the show, you were talking about the goals you had for the team and where you wanted to get to. It must be good to tick them off, but how did it feel going into the game? Were there a bit of nerves?
A: There were definitely nerves. We’d been taking it one game at a time and one week at a time. Weirdly enough a lot of us felt calm on Friday morning. We knew the game was going to be right the entire time. It was just about sticking with it for 40 minutes.
Q: You’ve had an incredible year personally. How did it feel for you out there? You were the Grand Final MVP. Take us through what it feels like to impact a decider like that out on the floor.
A: I was just trying to do as much as I possibly could to get us over the line. I wasn’t alone, every single girl in the team stepped up and played their role. Each person just had to bring what they brought. We knew we didn’t have to do anything special because that’s what we’ve done all season. The crowd was wild, the ball would go out of bounds and the crowd would go nuts. It was an electric feeling but holding on for those last three minutes was nerve-wracking and exciting. When that final buzzer went off, there was relief. We really wanted to do it for each other, we wanted it that badly. When the buzzer went off, it was just elation.
Q: Has your individual success sunk in yet?
A: I don’t think it has sunk in. I said to one of my coaches, MVP doesn’t count unless you win a championship so now I can really appreciate that individual award too. The main thing I wanted was that championship. All the individual accolades are nice but I think I like celebrating with all of the girls around me and that’s what makes it special for me.
Q: Speaking of sinking in, you made your first Opals team. I’m sure that’s a lifelong dream realised. Has that sunk in yet?
A: I got the email when I was at a work meeting and my jaw dropped so I was trying to mute the computer and turn the camera off. It is a lifelong dream. It’s going to be great to learn from the girls that I’m with and do my thing. I’m looking forward to being in that squad and working my way up with the best girls in Australia. The Opals legacy is huge and I’m honoured to be a part of it.
Q: It has been the first season of NBL1 West. What does this season do for you going into your next WNBL campaign with Perth?
A: I’ve been able to work on the parts of my game that I wanted to and work on the player that I want to bring into the WNBL. It’s been a great season but now it’s about translating that into the WNBL because it’s going to be a very high-quality league.
Q: We didn’t get the national championship this year but are you looking forward to potentially doing that in the future?
A: I think that’s going to be such an amazing thing when they can get that done. It’ll be great to see the league’s test themselves against each other. When you’re representing your state as well as your club, the stakes are going to be so much higher.
ANDREW FERGUSON
Q: You’ve had a fantastic season overall. How have you felt the season has gone?
A: It’s been great. It’s been backed by the work. We’re a really competitive group and really talented. We just stuck together throughout the year and bought in a couple of pieces in myself and Lewis Thomas to complement that. We go really hard at training. Scrimmages are no joke. In the last few weeks, we really clicked as a team and played some really great basketball which is what I like to play. There’s a really great culture down here.
Q: What has this very first season of NBL1 West been like in WA?
A: It’s been awesome to get that hype and for people to see the quality of basketball that’s been in WA for a long time now. All the social media has been awesome and it’s putting us on the map.
Q: We know you’re a star for Perry Lakes but you also had the chance to be a development player with the Perth Wildcats. What is it like being in that culture?
A: It was amazing, particularly last year seeing how the guys handled themselves with all the challenges they faced with the COVID season. Watching some guys like Jesse (Wagstaff) and ‘Norto’ (Mitch Norton) being really banked up and how they handled themselves through it. I thought they were quite exceptional and it’s something I want to do myself so we can keep building in the future.