Remember When: Timms coached in the NBL

One of Australia’s greatest ever basketball exports was honoured with a place in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last week, and while Michele Timms is best known for being a powerhouse of women’s basketball for over 30 years, her career as one of our nation’s greatest contributors to global basketball also included a stretch in the NBL.

RELATED: Timms earns prestigious honour

Timms retired from playing following the 2001 WNBA season with the Phoenix Mercury, after which her number seven jersey was retired by the club – and was just the second jersey to ever be retired in the history of the competition.

After starting her coaching career as an assistant with the Mercury in 2005, Timms returned to Australia as a development and assistant coach with the South Dragons under Shane Heal in 2008, where she was the second female to be appointed to an assistant coaching position in the history of the NBL.

Upon the announcement of Timms’ place, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame labelled her as “a trailblazer in Australian women’s basketball”.

She’s joined Lauren Jackson and Lindsay Gaze as the only Australians enshrined in the Hall, while Andrew Gaze and Penny Taylor earned nominations alongside Timms.

Timms' honour roll
- Australian Opals - 264 appearances, four World Championship, three Olympic Games
- WNBL - 285 appearances, five championships (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992)
- WNBA - 123 appearances, 1999 WNBA All-Star
- Basketball Australia Merit Award – 1991
- Olympic silver medallist - 2000
- Olympic bronze medallist - 1996
- World Championships bronze medallist - 1998
- Basketball Australia International Player of the Year – 1994, 1996
- Sport Australia Hall of Fame - 2003
- Women's Basketball Hall of Fame - 2008
- FIBA Hall of Fame - 2016
- Number 7 singlet retired by Phoenix Mercury