By Jamie Thomas
She was an integral part of one of the most memorable WBBL Play-off stories in the competition’s history last year with the Newcastle Eagles, and Abby Lowe knows that if the Durham Palatinates are to have success in the post-season this year then she is going to have to be the cornerstone of another underdog story.
The Palatinates are the eighth seed for this weekend’s play-off quarter finals and have a date with the number-one-seeded London Lions on Saturday, who have gone undefeated in domestic competition this season, and Lowe reflected on last year’s experience as she looked ahead to the weekend’s action.
“Last year taught me that anything can happen if you have that belief in what you can do as a team. Nobody expected us to do what we did at Newcastle last year at all, it was just a pure underdog mentality and a team full of belief that if we played our best game then we could achieve something.
“We only had seven players on the roster – yes, we did have a lot of talent within that – but compared to the teams we were going up against we were definitely the underdogs and the trust and belief we had in each other is what got us so far.
“Having felt that on a team and knowing what it feels like, it gives you confidence going into this year because although the odds are against us again we’ve just got to stick together, give it our best shot and it isn’t over until the buzzer sounds.”
“We’re at the best point we’ve ever been as a team.”
One of the most dynamic young players in the WBBL, with significant prowess on both ends of the floor, Lowe has been an excellent addition to an exciting Palatinates side full of potential.
The 24-year-old reflected on the past few months with her new team, after moving on from the Newcastle Eagles, and how much she’s looking forward to being a part of the team’s future.
“Being at Durham has been amazing for me. Lee (Davie) coached me when I was playing for the Under-15s England team so he knows me quite well. I don’t think I’m the easiest person in the world to coach, but he’s done a great job for me and been really easy for me to play for to be honest.
“The girls on the team are great, amazing individuals. They’ve all been so nice and welcoming since I’ve joined and we’ve come together really well. This was a team on the rise before I joined, I think, and since December we’ve just taken things to another level and improved throughout the year.
“We’re at the best point we’ve ever been as a team, I think, and it is a good feeling. We’ve seen glimpses of our potential, with ten or 15-minute spells of showing how good we can be, but if we stand a chance of being close to London on Saturday then we’ve got to perform for 40 minutes.”
“I took a lot from playing with Ali Gorrell.”
A young team with lots of room to grow, Lowe is one of the more experienced and senior members of the team, especially so in the last few months with the absence of the likes of Kara Elderkin through injury.
That has meant that the dynamic Durham star has had to adopt new responsibilities for leadership this year compared to her previous stint with the Eagles, and she discussed how much she’s enjoyed that responsibility and what she learned from her former teammate and WBBL legend Ali Gorrell in that regard.
“Being more of a leader this year has been really interesting for me and a big learning curve because it is a lot to deal with just to make sure you performing to your best level and so on, never mind having to put other people in the position for them to be their best selves, but I’ve really enjoyed that responsibility and have grown a lot myself as a result.
“I took a lot from playing with Ali (Gorrell) at Newcastle and learnt so much about leadership from her that I’ve been able to bring here. We had so much going on at Newcastle last year with injuries and players leaving and all of that, but Ali just kept going and reminded us that every day is a new opportunity to get better and we can only worry about what we can control.
“We have lost games this year, for example, that I didn’t think we should have lost at the time and still don’t and maybe in the past I’d have been really upset or lashed out, but Ali has really taught me that isn’t really going to help anyone, so she’s definitely having an influence on what I do here and think of Ali’s example.”
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