Stephanie Talbot Explained

Stephanie Talbot
League:WNBA
Team:Los Angeles Sparks
Number:7
Position:Forward
Height Ft:6
Height In:2
Weight Lbs:192
Birth Date:15 June 1994
Birth Place:Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia
Draft League:WNBA
Draft Year:2014
Draft Round:3
Draft Pick:33
Draft Team:Phoenix Mercury
Career Start:2011
Years1:2011–2014
Team1:Adelaide Lightning
Years2:2014–2016
Team2:Canberra Capitals
Years3:2016–2017
Team3:Gorzów Wielkopolski
Years4:
Team4:Phoenix Mercury
Years5:2017–2018
Team5:USO Mondeville
Years6:2018–2019
Team6:Melbourne Boomers
Years7:
Team7:Minnesota Lynx
Years8:2019–present
Team8:Adelaide Lightning
Years9:
Team9:Seattle Storm
Years10:–present
Team10:Los Angeles Sparks
Highlights:

Stephanie Talbot (born 15 June 1994) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

Talbot was a member of the Australian Women's basketball team (Opals) at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Opals were eliminated after losing to the USA in the quarterfinals.[1]

Career

WNBL

Talbot began her career at just the age of 17, playing with the Adelaide Lightning for the 2011–12 WNBL season. In just her second season, Talbot was recognised as one of the brightest prospects in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL), winning the 2013 Betty Watson Rookie of the Year award.[2] In accepting her award, Talbot was asked what she had learned from playing with Olympians Suzy Batkovic, Laura Hodges and Jennifer Screen, and she replied "Shitloads".[3]

In 2018, Talbot returned to the league after signing with the Melbourne Boomers.[4] This was her first season back after spending two seasons overseas in Europe.

In 2019, it was announced Talbot would re-join the Adelaide Lightning, returning to both her home state and her first WNBL team.[5]

In 2020, Talbot re-signed with the Adelaide Lightning for her second consecutive season.[6]

WNBA

In 2014, Talbot nominated for the WNBA draft, where she was selected in the third round (33rd overall) by the Phoenix Mercury.[7] Talbot opted to play for the Canberra Capitals for the WNBL 2014-15 season.[8] In 2017, the Phoenix Mercury re-acquired Talbot.[9]

In 2019, Talbot was traded to the Minnesota Lynx after two seasons with the Mercury.[10] In the off-season, she was traded to the New York Liberty for draft pick Erica Ogwumike.

After electing to sit-out the 2020 season, Talbot's rights remained with the Liberty. In February 2021, the Liberty traded their negotiating rights to the Seattle Storm.[11] Talbot would subsequently sign a training camp contract with the Storm.[12]

National team

Youth Level

Talbot made her international debut for the Sapphires at the 2009 FIBA Under-16 Oceania Championship in Brisbane. Later in 2013, Talbot was a member of the bronze medal winning team at the World Championship held in Lithuania.[13] At that tournament, Talbot was named to the World Championship All-Star Five.

Senior Level

Talbot is a current member of the Australian Women's basketball training squad. At official senior FIBA tournaments, Talbot has played for the Opals at the 2015 Oceania Women’s Championship, 2016 Olympic Games and 2018 World Cup.[14]

Talbot, like all the other members of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Opals women's basketball team, had a difficult tournament. The Opals lost their first two group stage matches. They looked flat against Belgium and then lost to China in heartbreaking circumstances. In their last group match the Opals needed to beat Puerto Rico by 25 or more in their final match to progress. This they did by 27 in a very exciting match. However, they lost to the United States in their quarterfinal 79 to 55.[15]

Career statistics

WNBA

Regular season

|-| align="left" | 2017| align="left" | Phoenix| 34 || 24 || 17.9 || .415 || .381 || .652 || 2.7 || 1.6 || 0.7 || 0.3 || 0.9 || 4.4|-| align="left" | 2018| align="left" | Phoenix| 31 || 8 || 14.6 || .464 || .386 || .905 || 1.9 || 1.3 || 0.4 || 0.3 || 0.9 || 3.7|-| align="left" | 2019| align="left" | Minnesota| 33 || 10 || 17.0 || .370 || .326 || .871 || 2.4 || 1.2 || 0.9 || 0.3 || 1.3 || 5.2|-| align="left" | 2021| align="left" | Seattle| 30 || 9 || 17.9 || .483 || .415 || .750 || 2.9 || 1.6 || 0.5 || 0.4 || 1.6 || 5.7|-| align="left" | 2022| align="left" | Seattle| 34 || 1 || 16.1 || .464 || .397 || .583 || 3.1 || 1.3 || 0.7 || 0.3 || 1.1 || 5.0|-| align="left" | Career| align="left" | 5 years, 3 teams| 162 || 52 || 16.7 || .436 || .376 || .738 || 2.6 || 1.4 || 0.7 || 0.3 || 1.1 || 4.8|}

Postseason

|-| align="left" | 2017| align="left" | Phoenix| 4 || 0 || 5.7 || .750 || .500 || 1.000 || 0.5 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.5 || 2.0|-| align="left" | 2018| align="left" | Phoenix| 4 || 4 || 27.1 || .474 || .333 || .600 || 5.3 || 2.8 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 2.2 || 6.3|-| align="left" | 2019| align="left" | Minnesota| 1 || 0 || 14.9 || .500 || .500 ||  - || 1.0 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 1.0 || 5.0|-| align="left" | 2021| align="left" | Seattle| 1 || 0 || 17.0 || .500 || .000 || .000 || 4.0 || 0.0 || 1.0 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 6.0|-| align="left" | 2022| align="left" | Seattle| 6 || 2 || 21.3 || .448 || .500 || .600 || 4.3 || 1.7 || 0.5 || 0.5 || 1.0 || 6.2|-| align="left" | Career| align="left" | 5 years, 3 teams| 16 || 6 || 18.2 || .484 || .412 || .583 || 3.4 || 1.4 || 0.5 || 0.3 || 1.1 || 5.1|}

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Basketball TALBOT Steph - Tokyo 2020 Olympics. 2021-10-13. olympics.com. en-us.
  2. Basketball Australia. Player: Stephanie Talbot. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  3. Nagy, Boti (25 March 2013). NBL/WNBL – All the Winners. Basketball On The Internet. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  4. News: OPALS, WNBA GUARD STEPH TALBOT JOINS THE BOOMERS.
  5. News: LIGHTNING SIGNS OLYMPIAN STEPH TALBOT IN HUGE WNBL COUP.
  6. News: 20/21 WNBL SEASON PLAYER SIGNING!.
  7. WNBA Enterprises, LLC. WNBA Draft Board 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  8. Tuxworth, Jon (14 May 2014). Canberra Capitals sign Adelaide WNBL star Stephanie Talbot. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  9. http://mercury.wnba.com/news/phoenix-mercury-signs-olympian-stephanie-talbot/ Phoenix Mercury Signs Olympian Stephanie Talbot
  10. News: Minnesota Lynx Acquire Forward Stephanie Talbot. August 28, 2019.
  11. Web site: Storm acquires Katie Lou Samuelson, Mikiah "Kiki" Herbert Harrigan; Rights to Stephanie Talbot and two 2022 draft picks - Seattle Storm. storm.wnba.com. WNBA. February 10, 2021.
  12. Web site: Storm signs Stephanie Talbot, Tamera Young - Seattle Storm. storm.wnba.com. WNBA. February 11, 2021.
  13. FIBA Archive. 2013 Under 19 Championship for Women.Event Standings. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  14. FIBA Archive. Players: Stephanie Talbot. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  15. Web site: Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo 2021. 2021-10-14. The Roar. en-US.