She’s one of the brightest young prospects in British Basketball and after a terrific 12 months of performances at both club and international level, 17-year-old Cardiff Met Archers talent Issy Bunyan is looking ahead to her third season in the WBBL.
A 5’11” guard, Bunyan led the WBBL in blocks per game last season and was a bright spark for the Archers alongside the likes of Shannon Hatch, Lauren Saiki and fellow youngster Carys Roy. We caught up with the Great Britain Under-18 international ahead of the new campaign.
“I’m really excited for the new season. We’ve kept some key players and we’ve brought in some new ones so I’m excited to get together with everybody. We know it is going to be a tough season for us. I’ve had a really busy summer which has been fun, but the new season is what we’re all waiting for.
“This is my third season in the WBBL now at quite a young age, and I’ve enjoyed seeing my role in the team get bigger year after year. It was exciting to play a lot more last year against some great teams and players and I felt I grew a lot from that, so I hope that can continue this year.
“It is really exciting and good for the game to have so many junior players in the league, because it helps everybody in the long term, and I’ve really enjoyed seeing so many of us taking our opportunities.”
“I put a lot of pressure on myself to deliver.”
The Archers haven’t reached the post-season play-offs since the 2017/18 campaign, but earned the second-most wins Championship wins in a campaign in club history last term with six victories in the year.
With the rest of their roster set to be announced this week, the Archers are expected to return key players from last season alongside Bunyan, meaning Head Coach Stef Collins has continuity to build upon and some key pieces to turn to as the club looks to end their play-off drought.
“For us we just have to focus on getting better every game. We’re not a powerhouse in this league, we’re not going to compete for the top four or five spots, but we have really talented players and there is potential for us to be a really solid team that challenges for play-offs.
“We know that as a team and as individuals we have to give everything we can every single game to compete in what is a very challenging league. We’ve got good scorers, we’re athletic, I learn a lot from the senior players on this team and it is a great environment for me to develop in.
“My aim this season is to be more confident in my abilities. I know I can do it and compete well at this level, despite being a younger player. It is nice to hear other players praising me and saying positive things about me, but I expect even more of myself, so I put a lot of pressure on myself to deliver.”
The Archers tip off their WBBL campaign on Saturday, September 24 away to the Manchester Met Mystics. You can watch the game – and all WBBL fixtures this season – live and for free on the WBBL YouTube channel.