Challenges

Suzy Batkovic OLY

The Under 15 & Under 17 Girls Challenge is named in honor of Australian Opals legend, Suzy Batkovic OLY.

Suzy Batkovic is one of the greatest frontcourt players Australia has ever produced and one of the best women’s basketball players this country has ever seen, period.

The left-hander, a product of Lambton, in Newcastle, is a highly decorated Olympian who was a part of three medal-winning Australian Opals’ teams. She won silver in Athens 2004, silver in Beijing 2008 and bronze in London 2012.

She also represented Australia in one FIBA World Championships, winning a bronze with the Opals in 2002, and was a two-time winner of the Maher Medal as the International Player of the Year.

As a professional, her career was nothing short of incredible, and at WNBL level, she left an indelible mark as one of the best players in the competition’s history. In 16 seasons, Suzy won five WNBL titles, six WNBL MVPs, was named to the WNBL All Star Five seven times and made an astonishing 29 WNBL Finals appearances. She retired as the all-time leading scorer in league history with 5,839 points, adding 2,972 rebounds, 443 blocks and 423 steals. Her name now adorns the league MVP trophy, which will forever be known as the Suzy Batkovic Award.

Suzy’s professional international career was also a highlight. She was a standout in Europe for seven years and won four championships – a coveted Euroleague championship added to two in France and one in Italy – and would play two seasons in the WNBA after  selection in the first round of the 2003 WNBA draft by the Seattle Storm.

Suzy was inducted into the NSW Hall of Champions in 2024.

Katie-Rae Ebzery OLY

Katie-Rae Ebzery is an Australian former professional basketball player who played 15 seasons in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL). She was a three-time All-WNBL First Team member and a two-time Olympian with the Australian Opals (Rio 2016 & Tokyo 2020).  Ebzery also helped the Opals win gold at the Commonwealth Games and silver at the FIBA World Cup in 2018.

In 2019, Ebzery helped the Opals win bronze at the FIBA Asia Cup. She later played in the FIBA Olympic pre-qualifying tournament and the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Ebzery debuted in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) in 2005 with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). The talented guard left the AIS after three seasons with 65 WNBL games to her name at just 18 years of age. After playing for the Dandenong Rangers in the 2008–09 season, she stepped away from the WNBL for the 2009–10 season.

In 2010, Ebzery joined the Sydney Uni Flames. In 2014–15, she passed 200 WNBL games and was named the Flames Club MVP after averaging 16.8 points per game, the sixth highest average in the league. She played her sixth season for the Flames in 2015–16 and was named to the WNBL All-Star Five.

For the 2016–17 season, Ebzery moved to Russia to play for Dynamo Moscow.

Ebzery returned to the WNBL and the Sydney Uni Flames for the 2017–18 season. In June 2018, Ebzery signed a two-year contract with the Perth Lynx. In the 2019–20 season, she was named to the WNBL All-Star First Team.

In June 2020, Ebzery re-signed with the Lynx. In the 2020 WNBL Hub season in Queensland, she was named to the All-WNBL First Team. She finished the regular season fourth (18.0) in scoring and ninth (3.6) in assists.

In October 2021, Ebzery retired from the WNBL after 15 seasons and 304 games.

Damian Martin OLY

Damian Martin OLY is widely regarded as one of the greatest defensive players in Australian basketball history and one of the most decorated athletes the National Basketball League (NBL) has ever seen. 

A product of Gloucester, New South Wales, Martin’s basketball journey began in the NSW Country basketball pathways in 1996. He went on to represent the NSW Country State team in 1999, 2000, and 2001 before becoming a scholarship holder with the NSW Institute of Sport and later earning a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). Martin then moved to the United States to play college basketball for Loyola Marymount University before beginning his professional career with the West Sydney Razorbacks. However, it was with the Perth Wildcats where he truly made his mark, playing 11 seasons and winning an incredible six NBL championships. His relentless defense earned him the NBL Best Defensive Player Award a record six times, and upon his retirement, the league renamed the trophy in his honor.

Over his 13-season career, Martin cemented his legacy as one of the NBL’s all-time greats. His leadership helped guide the Wildcats to six championships, with memorable victories in 2010, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2020. Internationally, Martin represented Australia in several major tournaments, including the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, 2003 FIBA U19 World Cup, where he helped secure a gold medal, and the 2018 Commonwealth Games, where he earned another gold with the Boomers.

Martin retired in 2020 after playing 342 NBL games. In 2024, his No. 53 jersey was retired by the Perth Wildcats in recognition of his monumental contributions to the team and the sport.