US Standout Arrives to the WBBL

Oaklands College have announced the signing of US player Amari Carter from the University of Arizona or the 2020/21 WBBL season.

The 5’9” guard joins the Wolfpack off the back of a stellar college career that spanned two NCAA Division 1 programs and after being named number 32 on ESPN’s top 100 college prospects in 2015.

In 2019-20 season the graduate transfer moved to the Arizona Wildcats appearing in all 31 games before the season was cancelled due to the Corona Virus outbreak. Posting averages of 5.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 25 minutes of action. Before her season with the Wildcats, Carter spent four years with Penn State Lady Lions where she averaged 10.6 points, 3.4 assists and 3.3 rebounds for her career.

The player had this to say about her season ahead “I am really excited about starting my professional career and playing in the WBBL. My teammates are great and really welcomed me into the group, I’m really grateful to Oaklands for giving me this opportunity.”

The two way guard has seriously impressed Coach Ryan already as he believes she will be an instant hit in the league “Amari is a fantastic player, she is incredibly talented but equally humble, it’s clear to see why she has had such an impressive career in college. A very relaxed character she is perfect for us at the guard spot this year, our academy is full of energy and excited players, Amari will teach them how to be composed and control the game. She will be such an assist for us on and off the court.”

He continues “We have been talking all the way through the lockdown, I watched her for Arizona in the Pac 12 tournament and was impressed with her ability to go after the game at both ends of the floor; to be honest I didn’t think we would be signing her at that point in time!“ he laughs, “She led Penn State from the point guard position and then in Arizona she moved to the SG guard position, which shows her versatility and the range in her game. She’s going to be trouble for teams this season.”

Quick Returns to the Women’s British Basketball League

Oaklands Wolves have signalled their intent to move amongst the higher echelons of the WBBL with the signing of former Archer, Merissa Quick.

The 6’3’’forward joins for her second spell of top flight British basketball after a dominating season with Cardiff Archers back in 2017/18. That year the highly skilled forward produced averages of 18.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

The experience and familiarity of the WBBL is something the Wolves will look to draw upon throughout the program, something Quick is relishing even in the early stages of the season “I’m really looking forward to playing in the WBBL again. The setup at Oaklands creates an environment where learning and development comes first and I’ve already seen the progress we’ve made as a team. I can’t wait to get back to playing and see what we can achieve this season.“

The former Emporia State standout had been playing her trade in the Portuguese league for the past two seasons, most recently with GDESSA. In the shortened season due to corona virus Quick finished with 8.4 points, 5.4 points and 1 block per game.

Whilst looking to lead the way for the Wolves this season; Quick will also be studying a master’s degree with Oaklands partner institution the University of Hertfordshire.

Coach Ryan is delighted to sign Merissa, a target he has been pursuing for a number of seasons “I have been a fan of Merissa’s game since her time at Emporia, I was very envious of Cardiff when they signed her back in 2017 and been in regular contact with her since. I am pleased we have managed to finally bring her into the program; the team has taken a massive step forward by having her with us.

He continues “Her qualities on the court speak for themselves and anyone who has seen her play knows she can switch between both forward positions, which will give me a lot of options on the court. Such a strong character on and off the court she is exactly what the team needs to move to another level of performance.”

European International Added to the Wolfpack

Oaklands Wolves have added Estonian player Greeta Uprus for the upcoming season. The 5’10’’ guard joins the Wolfpack for her first spell of basketball overseas and outside of Baltic competitions. Uprus brings a wealth of experience having represented her country in the FIBA European Championships at the U16, U18 and U20 age groups and various teams in the Estonian and Latvian leagues. In a shortened season last year before the corona shutdown, Uprus played with Audentese SK Tallinn where she posted impressive stats of 26 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. In the full 2018-19 campaign, with the same team, she posted averages of 17 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 27 games.

Uprus recently completed her undergraduate degree in Recreation Management at the Tallinn University. Whilst in the UK she will combine her WBBL season with studying a master’s degree at Oaklands partner institution, the University of Hertfordshire. She had this to say about her first season England “I’m excited to play in the WBBL, and as it’s my first season abroad I’m interested to see how it differs from my previous experiences in Europe. As a team we have many different characters and skill sets, we all have something different to offer and I can see the chemistry is already coming together. I look forward to helping the Wolves to a winning season.”

Coach Ryan has been impressed with the players early impact “I remember Greeta from the Europeans, her game has continued to improve since then. So far she has fitted in perfectly with the group, her experience is great to have around the team and the academy setup. Her early performances indicate how good she could be in this league; very composed and strong and will give us a different dynamic at the guard position. Greeta gives me more options than in previous years, it will be enjoyable working out how to utilise her skills to best fit the group.”