KEILOR Thunder skipper Katherine Black has taken her basketball all over the world.
From Darwin and New Zealand and all the way to Texas and surrounding states in the US, Black has been blessed with what the sport has done for her in the past decade.
In the lead up to her 200th Big V game this Saturday in Warrnambool before celebrating the occasion with team-mates on her home court the following day against Chelsea, the 26-year-old reflected back on what the game has given her.
When asked about her thoughts on playing 200 games, she laughed as she admitted it hadn’t been something she’d given much thought.
“It’s a lot of basketball to play and I guess it gives you a chance to reflect on how much I have done and what the game has given me,” Black said.
“The amount of people and high-ranking players that I’ve been able to play with and against and train with is pretty incredible and I’m pretty lucky.
“The game’s also given me the opportunity to travel a lot, and the friendships. They’re probably the three big things the game’s given me.
“So I guess playing the 200 has allowed those things to happen.”
Black has played nearly half of those games with Keilor after moving across to the Thunder three years ago and was given the captaincy in her first year there.
After stepping down from the role two years ago, returning coach Carey Paps convinced Black to lead the Thunder once more this season.
“I do like being captain,” she said.
“It’s a great role to have and really being 26 and having played 200 games I really like the opportunity to help other people out.”
Black is hoping for a big year both on and off the court, as she plans to get married to fiancée Rohan in the same year Keilor goes all the way in Division Two.
“We definitely have the potential to make the finals and if we play well we will win games, and if we play well enough there’s no reason we couldn’t go all the way,” she said.
