Posted on 18 March, 2019

The Kilsyth Cobras have signed Melbourne Boomers centre Sarah Booth for the inaugural NBL1 season.

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Boothe enjoyed an impressive collegiate career at the prestigious Stanford University, helping the Cardinal reach the NCAA Final Four in each of her three years on court. Boothe then spent time professionally in Europe before settling in Melbourne, where she completely dominated the Big-V championship division last year as a member of the Bulleen Boomers, before earning a contract with the Melbourne Boomers for the 2018/19 WNBL season.

Boothe was named to the Big-V All-Star 5 in 2018 despite playing just 12 regular season games with Bulleen, averaging a league-leading 21.3 points and 13.5 rebounds per game, while ranking third in blocked shots (1.5bpg), sixth in field goal percentage (50.9%), and eleventh in assists (3.3apg) and free throw shooting (79.6%). The 6’5 centre followed her Big-V success with a solid debut WNBL campaign, where she played a pivotal role off the bench in helping the Melbourne Boomers advance to the WNBL Semi Finals.

Excelling in her short time in Australia, Boothe is thrilled to continue her basketball career down under and join a Cobra team which looks to establish itself as a powerhouse in the new NBL1 competition.

“I’m very excited to join the Cobras and have the chance to stay and play in Melbourne, Boothe said.

“I love Australia and have met so many amazing people and have grown both in basketball and as a person. I am excited to continue this growth and to start a new journey with Kilsyth, and I can’t wait to become a part of this club and the Kilsyth community.”

Cobras head coach Sam Woosnam echoed Boothe’s enthusiasm, and believes the skilful centre’s prior experience in Australia will ensure a seamless transition into the NBL1.

“Sarah is the perfect fit for our team – she has WNBL experience and has played in the Big-V for a couple of seasons so is already accustomed to the Aussie style of play,” Woosnam said.

“She works tirelessly on the boards and her size and speed will be a great asset to the group.  She has also played with Kara (Tessari), so that established relationship will be beneficial at the beginning of the season while we are gelling as a team.”

Boothe and the Cobra Women make their NBL1 debut on Saturday March 30, when they take on heated rivals, the Knox Raiders, on the road in the Game 1 of the Battle for the Ashes. The Cobras make their home debut the following day, when they play host to the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence on Sunday afternoon (12pm/2pm).

Key partnership opportunities with Kilsyth Basketball and the NBL1 Cobras are now available, offering the chance to partner with one of Australia’s largest and most prestigious basketball associations while receiving exposure on a national level.

For more information about current partnership opportunities, please contact Amanda Dean on Amanda.Dean@kilsythbasketball.com.au or give us a call at (03) 9728 1033.