Above: Stephanie Cumming is off to Canberra after being offered a two-year scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport.
By Marc McGowan
ENDEAVOUR Hills basketball sensation Stephanie Cumming is preparing to embark on the latest chapter in her flourishing career after being offered a two-year scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra from next year.
“I was in shock,” Cumming, 16, said. “I was supposed to be going to Haileybury, but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity.”
It has been a whirlwind year for the Dandenong Rangers dynamo and Eumemmerring Secondary College student who has also made her debut on the international stage and in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL).
Cumming, a combo-guard described it as really exciting.
“There is heaps of training, but without it you’re not anything. You have to put all of your effort in,” she said.
It is this attitude towards basketball that has endeared Cumming to her coaches and has them earmarking her for higher honours.
Rangers head coach and Australian Opals assistant coach Gary Fox described her as a great kid, a really aggressive player.
“She has a lot of poise and we are really enjoying having her around,” he said.
Unfortunately for the Rangers they will have to relinquish their rights to Cumming, as her AIS scholarship requires her to suit up for its WNBL side.
However, Fox is eager for her to return to his squad once her AIS duties are over.
“It’s absolutely what we want, with her being a local product,” he said.
“We’ll be seeing her all the time, because she’ll be competing against us. The AIS is a really good program.”
Cumming’s first international experience came last month in the Oceania Youth Tournament in New Zealand and she played a pivotal role in securing the gold medal for Australia.
She elevated her game for the level of competition at the tournament and it has been much the same in her inaugural WNBL season.
Cumming nailed a three-pointer with her first shot in the WNBL and finished with seven points in her debut match.
“That was awesome. It was so good,” she said.
It was not all smooth sailing, however and she proved that she is not above having a laugh at her own expense.
“When I got the call to go onto the court in my first match, I fell over as I was running on,” she laughed.
“It’s a lot more physical and faster than what I’m used to. I’m really enjoying it.”
It certainly helps that the Rangers have a strong veteran presence on the roster, including Opals star and seven-time WNBL defensive player of the year Emily McInerny and co-captains Samantha Richards and Caitlin Ryan.
“They’re all really nice and take care of us younger players,” Cumming said. “Caitlin Ryan has been really good.”
The next step in her basketball journey will be the annual Australian Junior Development Camp, which is being held in January at the AIS.
She will remain there after the camp to begin her scholarship.
“We live in the residences there,” Cumming said.
“We train during the day and catch the bus to school. I might get a bit homesick, but it’s only a 45-minute plane trip back home.”
She is distinctly aware of how important this opportunity is to her future; a point highlighted by Fox.
“I would say every player in the Opals squad has come from the AIS,” he said.
“That’s a pretty big wrap for the program.”
