THE Albury-Wodonga Lady Bandits have finally signed their import players for this year’s SEABL campaign.
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The Border club will unveil forward Rachel Maenpaa and point guard Lonnika Thompson tomorrow, along with new coach James Ballinger.
Maenpaa is a 185-centimetre combo forward who has spent the past three seasons playing in the Queensland Basketball League for the Brisbane Capitals, Northside Wizards and Bundaberg Bears.
The 28-year-old averaged 22.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game for the Wizards in 2011 and the Lady Bandits are hoping Maenpaa’s speed and athleticism will be a huge boost for the beleaguered Border squad, which won just one game last year.
The Wisconsin native has also previously played in Portugal — where she made the All-Star team and played in the FIBA Cup competition — Switzerland, Slovakia and Sweden after a stellar collegiate career for Indiana State University.
Following her junior season where Indiana State was regular season conference champion, Maenpaa was a Missouri Valley Conference Second Team nomination in her senior year for the Sycamores, averaging 13.8 points and 6.3 boards per game.
Thompson is a 163-centimetre playmaker who played her college basketball for the Florida Gators in the NCAA’s Division 1 Southeastern Conference.
Hailing from New Orleans, she was the Gators’ most improved player in 2008-09 and was also the recipient of the Miss Elliott Unsung Hero Award in 2009-10.
