Emma Gandini is no stranger to success.
Having come up through the ranks at the Willetton Tigers, she joins captain Desiree Kelley and key playmaker Sophie Maines as the only three players that remain from their 2016 championship team.
Winning the inaugural NBL1 West championship tonight extends beyond those three though, with every Tigers player indicating that an elusive Grand Final victory was a part of their 2021 goals at the very start of the season.
Having already won the minor premiership, the Willetton Tigers are determined to back it up with a major one.
It wasn’t an easy road to get to Bendat Basketball Centre though, with Gandini admitting that nerves got to the team in their qualifying final against East Perth.
“In the first final that we had against East Perth, I was so nervous and got really worked up,” the 27-year-old says.
“We were down by 18 at the half, so the other girls felt the same.
“Last week I just tried to stay as calm as I could and just treat it like any other game.
“I’m trying to think of the Grand Final as another game, just with a bit of added hype.”
Having overcome East Perth as well as Perth in the finals, Gandini and the Tigers are well aware of what their championship opponents, Joondalup bring to the table.
The Wolves won the West Coast Classic last year and have motivation of their own to win the inaugural NBL1 West Championship.
“Now that we’ve played them, we know what to expect,” Gandini says.
“They won the season last year so I think there’s a bit of hype around them.
“I still think they’re an amazing team but hopefully we can knock them off.
“Playing them in the season and losing to them has actually fuelled the fire.”
Gandini says one of the keys to Willetton’s success this season was the recruitment of NBL1 West MVP Alex Sharp and league leading scorer Samantha Lubcke.
“The last couple of years have been good but Sam and Alex have been the tip of the iceberg to help us get to that next step,” she says.
“Sam’s dedication to the sport is amazing.
“She always gets up early and works hard.
“Playing alongside Alex and defending her is amazing.
“She’s so dedicated and humble.
“She just made the Opals squad but you wouldn’t even know, she’s so down to earth.”
Gandini also shares Sharp’s humble quality though.
While many players pride themselves on scoring and stuffing the stat sheet, Gandini prides herself on playing whatever role the team needs her to play.
This season, her focus was defence and it paid off as she took home the NBL1 West Defensive Player of the Year award.
“Defence has been part of my game for the past few years,” the point guard says.
“I always get up on the ball carrier and I know that defence brings offence.
“Some people might not enjoy defending the ball.
“I hate when people get up close to me, so I think I can annoy them when I apply the pressure.”Catch Gandini and the Tigers in their matchup against the Wolves in tonight’s Coles Express NBL1 West Grand Final on Kayo Freebies, an official broadcast partner of NBL1. Sign up free for Kayo Freebies here.