Star Aussie guard Shyla Heal has revealed she received offers to play for overseas clubs during her mysterious two-week WNBL absence, but says she couldn’t pass up the prospect of playing under Townsville coach Shannon Seebohm again.
It comes as four-time champion Kelsey Griffin has suggested the WNBL should consider a trade window following Heal’s contentious late-season team switch.
Heal on Wednesday night stepped out for Townsville for the first time this season after a dramatic 24 hours, which saw her released by the Sydney Flames – amid the club’s covert investigation into her dad Shane Heal – and join the Fire.
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The 21-year-old wore a No. 9 jersey – without her name on the back – and came off the bench against the Perth Lynx, contributing seven points from 20 minutes of game time as the Fire registered a crucial 91-81 victory at the Bendat Basketball Centre.
Heal flew to Perth on Tuesday – even though the WNBL hadn’t officially approved her clearance to the Fire – and joined her new Townsville teammates for training after touching down. The Fire, Flames and league then all confirmed Heal’s club switch had been approved the next day.
The 168cm player has signed a contract with the Fire for the remainder of the season after a mutual parting of ways with the Flames, who’ve remained silent over an investigation into Shyla’s dad – and now-former coach – Shane. The duo were absent for Sydney’s three most recent games, with both opting not to comment on the nature of the probe into the Australian Boomers legend.
Heal was part of the Fire’s roster during the 2020 WNBL hub season and produced a breakout season, claiming the Betty Watson Australian Youth Player of the Year award.
Speaking to ESPN after the Fire’s win over Perth on Wednesday night, Heal didn’t address her departure from Sydney, but said she was delighted to be back playing under Seebohm at the Fire.
Heal said she’d been working hard on the court during her fortnight away from the Flames as she was anticipating a move to an overseas basketball club.
“I’m feeling really good. It’s great to be back with the Townsville team – I really missed it – and I’m just really glad,” she told ESPN.
“It was a big decision coming here playing under Shannon, but it was a pretty easy one. I had offers overseas, so I was training every day to go overseas, but then this came up and I just really wanted to play for Shannon again.”
Heal is now widely regarded as one of the best point guards in Australia, highlighted by consistent selections in Opals squads over the past 12 months. She was taken by the Chicago Sky with Pick 8 in the 2021 WNBA draft, only to be brutally cut after just four games.
“I’m really just coming in doing whatever the team needs and playing whatever role they need,” Heal said. “Whether that’s little or big, I’m really excited either way. I’m excited for what’s to come and being with this team.
“I can contribute anyway they need. I can play the one, I can play the two – just anything they need … Hopefully get some wins.”
For a player to be eligible for WNBL finals, they must have played at least one-third of the regular season for the same club. Townsville, which sits third on the competition ladder, had seven games left in its 21-game season prior to Wednesday night, meaning Heal will now be eligible for the Fire’s finals campaign if she plays in all of Townsville’s remaining regular season games.
Speaking on ESPN pre-game on Wednesday night, Griffin suggested the WNBL should now look at a player movement window.
“Maybe this is something where we look to other leagues across the world – EuroLeague, WNBA, NBA – and is it time to maybe have a deadline, a point in the season instead of games played … a date that these acquisitions can occur?” Griffin asked on ESPN.
“Injuries do happen, things do happen where there does need to be movement and needs to be that freedom, but is there a point, if there are a different number of games played, that you create a date so that every team has that equal opportunity?”
Heal’s arrival is also timely for the Fire in that their two star guards – Steph Reid and Lauren Nicholson – are dealing with their own respective ongoing injuries and are game-to-game prospects.
Seebohm said he was “really happy” to acquire Heal.
“She’s a great kid. I obviously coached her in the hub. She knows our team really well, knows me really well,” Seebohm told ESPN.
“Once we’ve got a bit of time to integrate her and hopefully get Steph and Lauren back, we’ll be looking alright.
“For now she’s going to come off the bench – she’s just joined us – and we’ll see what happens after that.”
The Fire and Lynx meet again in Perth on Saturday night.
