Abby Bishop On How She Fell In Love With Basketball

In 2013, the then- 24-year-old athlete took her two-day-old niece home from hospital to save her from going into foster care. In 2015, Bishop was granted permanent legal guardianship of Zala, now four, until she turns 18. The baller has played in WNBL teams as well as the Australian Opals – helping to win the team a bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics. And in the 2014/2015 Aussie season, she was named WNBL MVP. What a rock-, sorry, sports star!

What made you fall in love with basketball?

“For me it was always a challenge, so I loved that aspect of it. I loved the people involved, too. I gave up netball at age 14 because at that point every day of the week was filled with basketball or netball and it was becoming too much. I chose basketball because it was an Olympic sport, and going to the Olympics had been a dream of mine since I was a kid – plus there were a lot more opportunities in basketball.”

How do you juggle being a mum to your niece Zala and also a full-time pro athlete?

“It’s a tough gig. I won’t pretend it’s easy, but I just find a way. I make sure I spend enough time with her, but I also only put myself in situations where we’re a package deal – so the clubs I play for become family to both of us, which helps me juggle it all
a lot more easily.”

What are you most looking forward to at the moment?

“I’m looking forward to this WNBL season, and the fact that we’re back on TV. I’m [back] home in South Australia to play for the Adelaide Lightning this season and I’m super-excited about coming back to where it all began [Bishop grew up on a farm in SA’s Southern Flinders Ranges, and eventually moved to Adelaide for basketball]. There are so many talented players coming back to [Australia to] play; it’s a great league so that excites me. Oh, and I’m also just excited to have a summer by the beach in Adelaide.”

Discover what the Women’s Health initiative WinS is and how you can get involved here.

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