After representing Victorian teams at the Australian Junior Championships for the last three years, Whittlesea’s Chloe Molloy can’t wait to step out on the basketball court again this year.
Molloy will be part of an under-20 state side hoping to keep Victoria’s winning streak intact.
Victorian teams have won the last six junior titles.
Last year, Molloy was part of the Victorian Navy team that took home the gold. Many from that team will be back together for next year’s challenge.
“I’m pretty excited about nationals,” she said.
“It’s probably the greatest thing about basketball … you get to spend the whole week with people with the same interests.
“It’s like a big sleepover, and you all want to bring home is gold at the end of it.”
The championships will cap off a busy 12 months for Molloy, which has included completing year 12.
She said juggling VCE with basketball was harder than she expected, but her school and basketball teams had been supportive.
The 18-year-old started last year playing with the Women’s National Basketball League side Melbourne Boomers as a development player, and then played with the Nunawading Spectres in the South East Australian Basketball League.
Now with her studies finished, Molloy is getting into training with the Boomers, where she is again a development player.
“Two years ago, with so many injuries (for the Boomers), it worked my way and I got a few minutes on the court,” she said.
“It’s been more difficult this time … because I’ve had exams, I was really focused on my education the past few months.
“I’m getting back into it now, and got a couple of big months ahead of me.”
The highlight of the year though, for Molloy, was being selected in the Australian Gems under-19 training squad.
“It was cool and something I’ve wanted to do since I started playing basketball,” she said.
“To be part of the training squad – and you know that you are up there with the top players in your age group – definitely boosted my confidence.”
It won’t get an easier, or quieter, for Molloy– she will head to America for college.
She recently signed her contract with Virginia Commonwealth University after agreeing to join the university earlier this year.
“I agreed pretty early on and it was a bit of a relief,” she said. “America is the basketball capital of the world.
“All my other friends were not sure if they would be going to uni … I had a pathway.
“The past two to three years, I heard about it (international student exchanges) and thought that’s something I wanted to do.”
The under-20 national championships will be held in Bendigo, starting February 12.
