WNBL Breakout Player of the Year Award

The WNBL Breakout Player of the Year (formerly the WNBL Youth Player of the Year Award) is an annual Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) award given since the 1988 WNBL season. The award is named the Betty Watson Breakout Player of the Year Award.[1][2]

The award underwent a makeover for the 2019–20 season with new criteria seeing Australian players 23 years old or under eligible for Youth Player of the Year, replacing the long-standing Rookie of the Year.[3] In 2022–23, the award was again redefined, to acknowledge any breakout player with an improved overall performance each season.[4]

Winners

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Denotes player inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame
Denotes player who is still active
Player (X) Denotes the number of times the player had won at that time
Team (X) Denotes the number of times a player from this team had won at that time
Season Player Position Nationality Team
1988 Lucille Hamilton   Australia Australian Institute of Sport
1989 Renae Fegent   Australia Australian Institute of Sport (2)
1990 Trisha Fallon   Australia Australian Institute of Sport (3)
1991 Michelle Brogan   Australia Noarlunga Tigers
1992 Allison Cook   Australia Melbourne Tigers
1993 Allison Cook (2)   Australia Melbourne Tigers (2)
1994 Maryanne Difrancesco   Australia Melbourne Tigers (3)
1995 Chika Emeagi   Australia Australian Institute of Sport (4)
1996 Jessica Bibby Guard   Australia Dandenong Rangers
1997 Lauren Jackson Forward/center   Australia Australian Institute of Sport (5)
1998 Andrea Cartledge   Australia Melbourne Tigers (4)
1998–99 Caitlin Ryan Guard   Australia Dandenong Rangers (2)
1999–00 Shelley Hammonds Center   Australia Australian Institute of Sport (6)
2000–01 Laura Summerton Forward   Australia Australian Institute of Sport (7)
2001–02 Alison Downie Forward   Australia Dandenong Rangers (3)
Kamala Lamshed   Australia Adelaide Lightning
2002–03 Kelly Wilson Guard   Australia Australian Institute of Sport (8)
2003–04 Kathleen MacLeod Guard   Australia Australian Institute of Sport (9)
2004–05 Renae Camino Guard   Australia Australian Institute of Sport (10)
2005–06 Abby Bishop Forward/center   Australia Australian Institute of Sport (11)
2006–07 Cayla Francis Forward/center   Australia Australian Institute of Sport (12)
2007–08 Nicole Hunt Guard   Australia Australian Institute of Sport (13)
2008–09 Sarah Graham Guard   Australia Logan Thunder
2009–10 Tayla Roberts Forward/center   Australia Australian Institute of Sport (14)
2010–11 Gretel Tippett Forward/center   Australia Logan Thunder (2)
2011–12 Carley Mijović Forward   Australia Australian Institute of Sport (15)
2012–13 Stephanie Talbot Guard   Australia Adelaide Lightning (2)
2013–14 Alex Wilson Guard   Australia Townsville Fire
2014–15 Lauren Scherf Forward   Australia Dandenong Rangers (4)
2015–16 Alex Ciabattoni Forward   Australia Adelaide Lightning (3)
2016–17 Monique Conti Guard   Australia Melbourne Boomers
2017–18 Ezi Magbegor Forward   Australia Canberra Capitals
2018–19 Jazmin Shelley Guard   Australia Melbourne Boomers (2)
2019–20 Ezi Magbegor (2) Forward   Australia Melbourne Boomers (3)
2020 Shyla Heal Guard   Australia Townsville Fire (2)
2021–22 Ezi Magbegor (3) Forward   Australia Melbourne Boomers (4)
2022–23 Isobel Borlase Guard   Australia Adelaide Lightning (4)
2023–24 Alex Sharp Guard   Australia Canberra Capitals (2)

References

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  1. ^ Australian Basketball Hall of Fame. Betty Watson OAM. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  2. ^ Basketball Australia (14 July 2007). Francis named Rookie of the Year. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  3. ^ "WNBL NAMES END OF SEASON AWARDS AND WNBL ALL-STAR FIRST & SECOND TEAMS". wnbl.basketball.
  4. ^ "CYGNETT WNBL ANNOUNCE CANDIDATES FOR 2022/23 AWARDS". wnbl.basketball.