By Hayley Wildes
Geelong rising star Agnes Emma-Nnopu used to dominate the court with her height.
But now the rest of the pack has caught up and the 15-year-old has had to re-invent her game.
“Because I don’t play big anymore, I need to be able to defend quicker players,” she said.
“I definitely want to improve my shooting and getting more shots up at a quicker rate.”
Standing at 180cm, the power forward no longer relies solely on her height, but can still rebound against the best.
She helped the Bellarine Storm under-18 team to victory BVC Championships in Shepparton last month.
She also won gold with the Victorian Goldminers at the Australian Country Junior Basketball Cup in the under-18s in January.
“Being able to play with such a talented group of girls was great,” she said.
“It was great going up against a lot of talented players. It was really intense, but a great experience.”
After a hectic start to 2017, Emma-Nnopu is preparing for her second season with the Geelong Supercats in the South East Australian Basketball League.
“Last year I was more of a development player and didn’t really get many games, but his year I think I’m in the top 10 for rotations now,” she said.
Emma-Nnopu began playing basketball at age seven to “make friends and have fun” but has since grown into one of Victoria’s most promising young talents.
She dreams of playing in the WNBL or even the WNBA in the US, and representing Australia.
“I’d really like to get a scholarship to the AIS and then play college basketball in the states,” she said.
“I just want to play at the highest level I can.”
