Rockingham Flames
| Rockingham Flames | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Leagues | State Basketball League |
| Founded | 1992 |
| History |
Men: Rockingham Flames 1994–present Women: Rockingham Flames 1992–present |
| Arena | Mike Barnett Sports Complex |
| Location | Rockingham, Western Australia |
| Team colors | Red, orange, black, white |
| President | Clive Higgins |
| Head coach |
M: Brad Samuelson W: Ryan Petrik |
| Team captain |
M: TBA W: TBA |
| Championships |
0 (M) 2 (2014, 2015) (W) |
| Website | Rockingham Flames |
Rockingham Flames is a State Basketball League (SBL) club based in Rockingham, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's SBL (MSBL) and Women's SBL (WSBL). The club is a division of Rockingham Basketball and Recreation Association (RBRA), the major administrative basketball organisation in the region. The Flames play their home games at Mike Barnett Sports Complex.
In 1992, a Rockingham Flames women's team entered the State Basketball League for the first time. As a result, Rockingham became the first club to introduce a women's program before a men's program. The Flames finished their inaugural season in the WSBL in eighth position with a 9–11 record. The 1993 season saw the Flames improve to fourth position with a 13–7 record.
In 1994, a Rockingham Flames men's team was introduced for the first time, entering the MSBL alongside the women in the WSBL. The Flames men finished their inaugural season in 13th position with a 9–17 record, while the women capped off their third season in the WSBL with an 11–9 record and a sixth-place finish.
Over the first 20 years of the Rockingham Flames, neither the men or women made it through to a grand final. Both teams were also unsuccessful in claiming a minor premiership during that time, with the men finishing as high as second in 2008 with a 21–5 record, while the women had their best season in 2010 with a 16–6 record and a second-place finish.
After finishing in last place on the WSBL ladder in 2011 with a 2–20 record, the Flames went into the 2012 season with much of the same group with one key addition – American import centre Emma Cannon. Cannon quickly proved herself to be one of the best American imports to play in the WSBL in a number of years, and complemented the likes of league veteran and 2010 league MVP Kaye Tucker. Cannon and Tucker helped lead the Flames to a fourth-place finish with a 15–7 record, and guided the team through the finals to reach the WSBL Grand Final for the first time in club history. In the 2012 championship decider on 31 August at the WA Basketball Centre, Cannon (12 points, 10 rebounds) and Tucker (11 points, 11 rebounds) were unable to fire for the Flames, as the South West Slammers took out the title with an 85–48 win.
In 2013, both the Flames men and women picked up imports that would become staples for the club over the ensuing four years. American guard Sami Whitcomb was travelling through Europe when she took an SOS call from the Flames who had had their previously signed import pull out. Scrambling to find an import, Flames coach Ryan Petrik was advised to sign Whitcomb by the girl who dropped out. The men on the other hand were also gifted an American who had come out of Europe, with forward Cooper Land joining the Flames after his brother Taylor played for the Mandurah Magic in 2012. While the men struggled in 2013, finishing in 11th place with a 9–17 record, the women returned to finals after finishing second with a 16–6 record. Whitcomb became an immediate sensation with the Flames in 2013, earning WSBL MVP honours and leading the Flames to the Semi Finals, where they were defeated 2–1 by the eventual champion Wanneroo Wolves.
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