Ella Tofaeono is one player embracing the biggest WNBL role of her career with the Tasmania Jewels so far and it continues a tradition within the club started at the JackJumpers of giving players a chance they can't get anywhere else.
If you go back over the history of the JackJumpers in the NBL and not only have they been tremendously successful over five seasons with a championship, a Championship Series appearance, and making the finals all but once, but it's all about providing people opportunities.
Even this season, that continues to be happening for Kody Stattmann and Biwali Bayles, and previously it's been Reuben Te Rangi, Majok Deng, Nick Marshall, Ben Ayre and the list goes of players overlooked by everyone else but who came to Tasmania and thrived.
Now that tradition is continuing already in the WNBL with the Jewels and four games into their existence, Tofaeono is the shining example of exactly that.
In her previous three seasons in the WNBL with one each at the Townsville Fire, UC Capitals and Adelaide Lightning following her college career that ended at Texas Tech, Tofaeono hit the floor a total of 40 times to average 10.4 minutes for 2.9 points and 2.6 rebounds.
In between, she has played some outstanding basketball in the NBL1 including this past season at the Townsville Flames where she produced 11.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and shooting a phenomenal 65 per cent from the field in almost 23 minutes a game.
Having previously played with Jewels coach Claudia Brassard in Townsville, there was a natural connection there to bring her to Townsville, and now the 28-year-old from Sydney, who plays internationally for the New Zealand Tall Ferns, is thriving.
Already across four games with the Jewels, she is playing 22.3 minutes a game and producing 9.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 of those at the offensive end while shooting a blistering 72 per cent from the field by staying in her lane.
Some of that role she's playing is through necessity with the front court currently missing Keely Froling and Madina Okot, but a lot of it is purely down to the hard work Tofaeono has put in and that she purely deserves it.
While Brassard has always been a fan of what Tofaeono can produce, she's never seen her play better or be in better shape, and is delighted for her that she's now producing in the WNBL.
"I think because I've known Ella for a few years and she played NBL1 North up in Townsville for us, and this is the best I've seen her play," Brassard said.
"She's in a comfortable situation where she feels supported, she's training hard, she's really fit and I think it's also some of the fittest that she's been in her career.
"So I think to see her making these big plays, she's been able to score pretty much on every big that she's seen so far this season down low.
"She's really put a lot of work into her post moves and being patient in there and finishing, and I think that's great. But then her pick and roll game offensively has really stepped up, and that's probably a big part of some of our success, and how our guards have been able to get open.
"I'm super proud of what she's done so far this season."
As her teammate, Jewels point guard and vice-captain Steph Reid has also been nothing but impressed by what Tofaeono is producing in the WNBL and is delighted to reconnect with her after the pair previously played together at Townsville.
"I have all the time in the world for Ella and I was with her in her first WNBL season as a DP in Townsville so to rejoin one another now at later points of our career and to see her starting, you know it's obviously under circumstances, but the last two games that she started she's really came out and made an impact," Reid said.
"She sets incredible screens, but it's the little things and she's working so hard every day to be a better communicator, and she's always asking questions and trying to be better.
"I think her attitude and her commitment to being great for the team is really commendable and I have a lot of time for her, and the amount of work that she's putting into not only her footwork but being a better defender.
"That was something she has voiced that she wanted to improve and I think that honestly, she's made a really big impact.
"She can guard physically any big in this league and she can match that physicality, and I think she's really coming to her strengths.
"I think she has a huge, bright future and I can't wait to see what that has for her in store."
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