Kirsty Brown may need an distinctive American drawl nevertheless she’s Scottish inside out.
Her pure competitors is what’s driving her and her group, Caledonia Gladiators, as they enter into their Superleague Basketball Playoff semi-final at the moment nevertheless it’s her Scottish hyperlinks that assure it means that little bit much more to her.
Gladiators have truly at present made background this era by successful the females’s facet’s first-ever flatware after they declared the Trophy Finals title in January.
But Brown acknowledges that she and her group are at present simply 80 minutes removed from making this era much more efficient than they will ever earlier than have truly envisioned.
With a 2nd prize at present inside touching vary, Brown acknowledges what goes to threat.
An exceptional 90-77 success over Manchester within the Playoffs quarter-finals final weekend break has truly offered the Scottish facet each self-confidence and vitality because the interval issues an orgasm and the 6′ 2″ onward thinks her facet is coming to a head at merely the right time.
“The game against Manchester was super competitive but we really doubled-down in the fourth quarter and were able to pull ahead so that win was huge for us,” the 25-year-old claims.
“We have such a protracted, onerous season and it may be onerous to maintain going while you get up to now so it’s been so essential for us to have these huge wins underneath our belt in latest video games. It looks like all of the work we’ve put in is actually coming to fruition at simply the fitting time.
“Peaking at this point of the season is the dream and that’s what it feels like we’re doing.”
Kirsty Brown (Image: Caledonia Gladiators)
This mid-day, within the Playoffs semi-final, Gladiators will definitely sort out favourites for the title and Championship champions, Oakland Wolves.
With Oakland having the house connection, the English facet are favourites to proceed to the final nevertheless what is usually a appreciable variable is Gladiators’ sway Oakland within the Trophy Finals beforehand this 12 months.
Knowing they’ve truly at present beat Oakland in a online game of great worth does, confesses Brown, supply the Scottish facet a big improve nevertheless she’s likewise conscious that at the moment’s go well with has the possible to be their hardest of the entire interval.
“We’ve not beaten Oakland in the regular season but to have beaten them in the Trophy Finals is huge for us. They’ve not lost at home this season so hopefully beating them on their home court is a really exciting prospect,” she claims.
“We’ve taken confidence from the Trophy Finals win however we’re additionally not getting complacent about the truth that we gained that as a result of we all know how onerous a sport this will likely be. We go into this sport with none doubt in our minds however we all know it’s going to be a really, very powerful sport.
“We want to focus on what we do well and if we can manage that, we should be in a very good spot.”
Brown was birthed in Edinburgh previous to transferring to California on the age of 6. Her return to Scotland, when she approved for Gladiators in 2023, has truly been one thing of a person accomplishment on the court docket nevertheless way more dramatically, Brown has truly noticed a real change within the acknowledgment basketball, and dramatically females’s basketball, is getting off the rear of Gladiators success,
“The weather’s just a bit different to California but other than that I’m loving being back in Scotland,” she claims.
“It’s a lot enjoyable being part of this membership and seeing how a lot we’ve grown this season in comparison with final season has been superb.
“We’re even beginning to get recognised out in public which is huge for ladies’s sport as a result of usually feminine athletes simply don’t get recognised.
“To see the growth of the club and the awareness of the sport has been amazing and it’s very exciting to continue to pushing Gladiators forwards.”
