Century flies for Bassett
It is fitting that as West Coast Fever celebrate their 100th game in the ANZ Championship tomorrow, so too does star goal shooter Caitlin Bassett.
It is also appropriate that Stacey Rosman, who was the club’s inaugural captain in the trans-Tasman competition, is coaching Fever as they take on Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic at HBF Stadium.
Rosman praised Bassett for her ability to keep backing up and her loyalty to a club that has struggled for success.
It has taken Fever longer than most of the other teams to reach the mile-stone, given they are yet to play finals in eight years of the championship.
Bassett, who is the leading goal scorer in the competition in 2015 with 358 at 87.5 per cent, admitted the 100-game achievement had sneaked up on her.
The 26-year-old said it was scary to think she had played every game since the franchise started in 2008.
But Bassett is delighted she will hit her milestone game in an undefeated team — a far cry from her previous seven seasons with the club.
“It feels like it’s flown by,” she said.
“I can’t believe I’ve hit the 100, especially when there’s so many greats of the game at the moment hitting their 100s.
“All these legends of the game like Kim Green and Nat Medhurst have notched it up so it’s nice to be able to get there with them.
“I’m getting old now but maybe I’ve got another 100 in me.”
Bassett said Fever could not underestimate Magic, who have been hit by injuries this season and sit second on the New Zealand conference ladder.
She said one of their biggest challenges after returning from a two-week trip to New Zealand was overcoming jetlag.
“They are going to be tough. I’m glad we’re playing them on our home court,” Bassett said. “It should be a good game.
“They are very unlucky with Casey Kopua (knee) and then Courtney Tairi doing an Achilles at the start of the year.”
