Former WNBL basketballer excited to be back on court in 2020

Nicole Gynes has been kept busy since she stepped away from her eight-year WNBL career, most notably with the births of her two children, Ollie, now four, and Elsie, two.

But the former Australian Opals representative always wanted to get back on court - in whatever capacity worked best for her family.

That opportunity came in the form of the Country Basketball League.

Gynes, 31, signed up to play for her home club, Warrnambool Mermaids, for the 2019-20 campaign.

The summer competition, not quite as serious for the Mermaids as their winter statewide Big V season, was the ideal comeback route after a five-year hiatus from the sport.

Gynes slotted in seamlessly. She averages 14 points a game - the Mermaids' best despite an achilles injury restricting her to just seven appearances.

Now the former AIS, Canberra Capitals and Dandenong Rangers point guard is eager to cap off her return season with a championship.

Warrnambool, under coach Katie O'Keefe, plays Millicent Magic in the grand final at Portland on Saturday night. Gynes, nee Hunt, said basketball, to her, was like riding a bike - you don't forget how to play.

"When you have finished playing at a higher level and having had a pretty good base level of fitness, I certainly felt pretty unfit (in my CBL return), that's for sure," she said.

"But at the same time I have played basketball my whole life so I feel pretty comfortable with a basketball in my hand and being on the court.

"It's just fun, it's the basketball I remember playing as a kid.

"I have been very lucky with the basketball I've played and played at high level and I am so thankful and grateful for all of that but I think at times you can lose a little bit of enjoyment.

"It is nice to just be back playing, having fun and enjoying the game of basketball."

The Mermaids' Big V program will be without Gynes in 2020 but she has not ruled out a return in the future.

"I have really enjoyed CBL but the kids are still little and I don't think the time is right for Big V at the moment," she said.

"I think I love basketball too much (to rule it out completely). I am old but I am not super old.

"With (husband) Alex playing (for the Seahawks), it would be a big commitment for us both to do it.

"He's playing again and Ollie is at a great age now where he can understand dad is playing and he loves going and watching and going to training so it's good fun."

Gynes is grateful she'll suit up in the decider against the Magic. She returned from an achilles injury in the semi-final, sinking a team-high 17 points in the Mermaids' win over Horsham Hornets.

"I did it in the first 30 seconds of the game and my heart sunk for a second," she said about the pre-Christmas injury scare.

"But then I think I knew I wasn't in enough pain, from what I'd heard when people rupture an achilles, and luckily had just strained it.

"I did it early December and last weekend was my first weekend back. It has taken a bit of time but in the big scheme of things it wasn't too bad.

"I felt like I was just getting some fitness and getting a bit of rhythm back and got injured but that's all part of sport and it's just an injury at the end of the day, there are people who are far worse off."

Gynes wants to finish off her comeback season "on a nice note with another win".

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