By JARROD POTTER
AIMIE Clydesdale is no stranger to the intensity of the WNBL finals atmosphere.
After all, Clydesdale, 22, from Endeavour Hills, is already a veteran of nine finals, having joined the Dandenong Rangers in 2010/11 during a golden era for the local WNBL side.
But Saturday night will be a little different – she won’t just be part of the roster set to battle SEQ for a place in the preliminary final, but she’ll lead the Rangers as one of the side’s captains.
After only 89 games in the league, and still one of the junior members of the team, Clydesdale was voted into Dandenong’s leadership ranks alongside another Endeavour Hills basketball star – Steph Cumming.
Getting a chance to lead the side into a final made the weekend all the more exciting for Clydesdale, who wants to see the side live up to bold ambitions they have set themselves.
“It’s really special,” Clydesdale said. “We said from the beginning we’re a young team and fairly new team with a new coach, but it was always an expectation for us to do well.”
It’s been a difficult season for the Opals up-and-coming point-guard – as she missed seven games at the start of the season – but is regaining the form that earned her a debut call up for the Opals last year on her home court against Japan in an international friendly.
Despite the up and down run Dandenong had in 2015/16 battling injuries to fight their way back into the top four – Clydesdale knows the side belongs in the championship equation and can make a great impact in the upcoming post-season.
“I think we deserve to be here – you only make finals if you win games – and we just need to believe that ourselves,” Clydesdale said. “We just need to come into the finals like we were playing a couple of weeks ago.”
While the home-and-away season ended on a flat note for the Rangers on Sunday evening – downed 64-88 by SEQ Stars – it all resets on Saturday as the pressure ramps up another level.
Larissa Anderson is also set to coach her first WNBL final in her debut season as Dandenong hosts SEQ Stars in the second semi-final on Saturday from 7pm at Dandenong Basketball Stadium.
