azcentral.com · Jan 17, 2021
Jade Melbourne excels at 18 in WNBL before beginning her ASU career
When Jade Melbourne arrives in the United States to begin her college basketball career at Arizona State, she'll be a freshman already with a season of experience in one of the world's premier professional leagues.
In November and December, the 18-year-old Melbourne played mostly as a starter for the Canberra Capitals, which in 2019-20 won their second consecutive Australian Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) championship.
Due to COVID, the WNBL reduced its 2020-21 season to six weeks, played in a bubble setting in North Queensland. With fewer imports to choose from due to travel restrictions, the league's eight teams relied almost exclusively on players from Australia and New Zealand.