For Maya Price, returning to the UK with Manchester Basketball represents an opportunity to bring together everything she has learned over the past few years — and to enjoy the game again.
After spells with two previous British teams, both of whom she went on to win trophies with, Price arrives in Manchester hoping to use that experience to make an impact in a new environment.
“I’ve learned a lot from both teams and I hope to bring that experience and contribute to success here, while having a bigger role.
“At Caledonia, I got injured after the first couple of months, and I spent a lot of time in London rehabbing. I’m looking forward to having a successful year and contributing to a great group.
“I’m grateful for those experiences with injury because I grew resilience. I’m mentally and physically stronger, and now I just want to enjoy basketball. It’s fun being on the court with this group and I hope we can achieve a lot.”
The 26-year-old centre’s new opportunity came through positive conversations with head coach Oli Parr, with Manchester offering what Price felt was the right fit to return to the UK and continue her development.
It also means being closer to family, who will now have the chance to watch her play regularly after her time in Australia and a previous UK spell disrupted by injury.
“Manchester is a great city, I love being back in the UK and playing at home. My family can attend games, which is really meaningful after Australia and my last UK spell being impacted by injury.
“Australia was on my list since day one, so I’m grateful for that experience. I learned a lot and I’m excited to bring that back to the UK with me.”
Price’s return has already brought some familiar opponents. Pre-season games against Oaklands and Caledonia, followed by London this weekend, have meant facing two of her former teams as Manchester begin to establish their identity.
“It’s funny to have started this new journey playing against some of my former teams. We’re still finding our identity, but it’s a great group with an exciting mix of talent.”
As one of the more experienced players in the group, Price hopes to contribute beyond her performances on court. Alongside fellow returners Maaja and Veera, she sees leadership as a shared responsibility.
“I can bring leadership, alongside Maaja and Veera as returners. I think there are a lot of players who will contribute to leadership.”
It is an opportunity to take on a bigger role in a league she believes continues to grow in competitiveness.
“You never know who will show out. We want to be a top team, and I hope we can meet those expectations.”
There are individual ambitions, too. Price hopes to put herself back into the national team frame, with a strong start potentially helping her ahead of November. But her focus is on delivering her best performances and helping Manchester win.
“I want to focus on putting in my best performances and getting wins for the team. I want to have fun, be aggressive, consistent and confident. If I can achieve those things, I’ll be happy.”
That desire to enjoy the game again connects with something Price spoke about in our previous interview with her in 2024, when she reflected on how basketball had helped her find confidence as a young player.
“I’ve always been quite tall which meant when I played netball I was stuck in the goalkeeper position a lot and so getting to play basketball and get up and down the court and do everything on every play was just so exciting for me.
“With my height growing up I lacked confidence because I was really tall for my age, but in basketball it’s a big advantage so it helped me find myself a little bit more as well. I don’t think when I was 10 years old I would have believed I would go on to do what I’ve achieved so far, so to think about how happy that version of myself would be with what I’ve done is really nice.”
A lot has happened since that conversation: new teams, new experiences, time spent playing overseas and the challenges of overcoming adversity.
Now, back in the UK and with a new role to embrace on a new team, Price has the chance to keep building on the journey that began when she first fell in love with basketball.