Having very much found her rhythm in the WBBL with Kenrick Liburd’s Nottingham Wildcats, rookie guard Brooklyn Pannell is thriving in her role as she looks to help lead the club to a WBBL Trophy Final and the Playoffs.
Fresh from leading the league in the latest WBBL All-Star Five rankings – which isn’t the first time Pannell has featured in that line-up this season, either! – we caught up with the young guard to find out how she is settling in at the Wildcats Arena.
“I’m very pleased and blessed to be in this position to experience overseas basketball professionally, and to start my journey with Nottingham in the WBBL I couldn’t be happier – everything has been great across the board.
“The experience has been what I expected, really. There have been challenges, of course, but I feel like I’ve adjusted to the professional game well. It took me a few games to find my rhythm, but after that, I just felt I was able to play the game like I know I can.
“We are a new team full of players that come from different backgrounds, so we knew we were going to take time to get used to each other, but once we started trusting each other and having confidence in each other we’ve shown what we can do.”
“We’re just so happy to see each other have success.”
Pannell is one of many on the Wildcats roster that has shown they’re capable of taking over a game throughout the season, as the likes of Kennedy Nicolas, Praise Egharevba, Imani Whittington and Jahnae Gyles have also featured in the All-Star Five thanks to superb performances in recent weeks.
Whilst having all the team’s weapons fit and firing at the same time throughout the season has been a challenge for the Wildcats as much as it has been for other clubs across the WBBL, Pannell discussed the quality of the roster and how good they can be when they’re all healthy and in rhythm.
“Everybody has played their part, whether they’ve been starting or coming off the bench, and we know that we’re at our best when we do whatever it takes for each other to help the team win.
“Kennedy (Nicolas), Praise (Egharevba) and Jahnae (Gyles) have been in the All-Star Five in recent weeks, and so have other players throughout the season, and I’ve enjoyed learning their strengths and feeding the ball to them because we’re a team where anybody can have a huge game.
“We’re just so happy to see each other have success, honestly, and whether it is Kennedy and Praise getting big rebounds or Jahnae, myself or somebody else making big shots, we want those moments and successes for each other, and as long as have that mindset and trust in the people around us we can be really good.”
“I think we’ll show another level of what we’re capable of.”
Consistency is the key word for most of the teams in the WBBL this season, as all of the teams from fourth to 13th have shown that they can beat each other on any given night, and even give the so-far-dominant top three a stern challenge on occasions as well.
Pannell certainly recognises the importance of that consistency, but also on maintaining focus as the Wildcats compete to be the best of a group of teams that have all shown they can be very evenly matched throughout the season.
“We definitely have a lot more growth to come. There have been a lot of games where we’ve missed key players with injuries or we’ve had games moved and things like that, but we’re putting in the work in practice to work on those areas where we need to get better.
“Once we develop that consistency – both in terms of performances and in terms of players being available – I think we’ll show another level of what we’re capable of.
“Outside of the top two teams, maybe, we’ve seen that on any given night it can be anybody’s game in this league, so we have to stay focussed on the goals we have for ourselves and continue to play for each other so that we can get better.”
“I’ve worked hard on staying aggressive and not settling for anything.”
One of the leading scorers in the league and having scooped up a Player of the Month win along the way this year as well, Pannell has shone and grown significantly throughout her first season as a professional.
She discussed in detail where she feels the Wildcats as a roster have developed, however, and what the key areas for focus will be for them – as well as herself on an individual level – moving forward.
“Improving defensively has been a particular focus for us throughout the year, I think. We’ve all come from different backgrounds and different philosophies so what I’ve been used to in my collegiate career, for example, might not be what others are used to and vice-versa, so we’ve had to learn quickly there.
“Buying into each other on the defensive end and getting those stops at key moments is something we have improved on throughout the season, I think, and on an individual level I’ve worked hard on staying aggressive and not settling for anything offensively, and trying to get other players involved.
“It has been really exciting that I’ve been able to transfer my game here in terms of scoring, as well, but I know I want to do more and use that aggression to help me contribute more in other ways as well, such as moving the ball, getting those rebounds or steals to help this team as much as I can.”