The talented US duo of De’Sean Parsons and Lauren Fech justified the faith of Goldfields Giants management by being crowned the NBL1 club’s 2024 most valuable players on Saturday night.
In a stunning debut season with the Goldfields club, Parsons claimed the men’s award after leading the squad in rebounding, field goal percentage and steals.
Those accolades complemented his selection last month to the Men’s All NBL1 West First Team when he ranked third for points per game (24.82), fourth in rebounding (10.14 per game) and fifth for steals (2.09).
Hailing from Sacramento, California, Parsons signed with the Giants in April with big expectations after seven years in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Stopovers included Armenia, Russia, Finland, Slovakia, Israel (twice), Vietnam, Hungary, and Iceland, and his credentials include being named the 2021 Slovakia League MVP and Israel’s 2022 league defensive player of the year.
Fellow American Randy Bell was the MVP runner-up after he also enjoyed an impressive season that included leading the squad for assists.
Damon Ballantyne, the leader for free-throw percentage, was third in the MVP voting from Kon Anguik, who was the top three-point shooter.
Despite difficult circumstances when head coach Matt Van Pelt missed a big chunk of the season on personal grounds, the Giants returned to the play-offs for the first time in two years.
Under interim coach Lennon Smartt, Goldfields won five of their final eight games.
It included an elimination final victory against Warwick to launch the play-offs, but the squad bowed out of championship contention with a semifinal defeat in Mandurah on short rest.
The Giants were among four teams to compile 13-9 win-loss records during the qualifiers.
Mandurah, however, grabbed fourth spot and a double chance in the finals from the Giants, East Perth and Rockingham.
Fech led the women’s squad in rebounding and field goal percentage, and tied with Kate Sidebottom for free-throw conversions to be crowned MVP from Jhazmin Joson, Ashlee Sidebottom and Alex Clinch-Hoycard.
Joson was the team leader for scoring, steals and assists; Clinch-Hoycard for three-point shooting; and Ashlee Sidebottom had the most blocked shots.
Fech, from Wausau, Wisconsin, was signed in February to complement the experience of 191cm German international Anne Zipser.
But she assumed an even bigger role when Zipser was released by the club in June.
Fech joined the Giants from German club Qool Sharks Wuerzburg after previously starring at Minnesota’s Winona State University.
Under Jaymi Worthington, the women’s squad finished 12th.
Worthington said the group’s “achievable goal” had been to make an inaugural play-offs appearance in their third season.
But with three wins, they finished six games and percentage outside the eight.
Among the Giants’ Western Australian Basketball League men’s awards, Sam Morrow was the MVP from Jordan Clements, and Jaydan Doel won the coaches’ award.
Also on Saturday night, Doel received the Scruth Family Award, and the Hough Family Award went to Kate Sidebottom.
Alex Clinch-Hoycard was the recipient of the Kevin Bartle Memorial Award, and the Noelene James club person award was shared by Bianca Fisher and Jessica Stockdale.