Youth will continue to get their chance at Oaklands Wolves says Lee Ryan

Fionnuala Wharton in action for Oaklands Wolves against Cardiff Met Archers. Picture: LELLO AMETRANO (Image: INAFRAME.NET)

The head coach of the WBBL outfit was speaking after their record-breaking 95-36 win over Cardiff Met Archers at the Oaklands Sportszone, a victory marked by the fact that all 10 of the roster dressed for the game chipped in with points.

Among them were two of the younger players in the squad, Khia Lee and Fionnuala Wharton, and Ryan insists that if they continue to produce the same level of performance throughout the season, they will see more and more chances to shine.

He said: “It was great to see some of the younger players come in and play with freedom.

“There are definitely opportunities for those young players if they continue to play with that belief.

Oaklands Wolves' head coach Lee Ryan. Picture: Karyn Haddon (Image: Archant)

“Khia is in her second year with the academy and she has grown a lot this year, both on and off the court.

“The biggest thing for her is to find who she is herself and to get some confidence and you’re starting to see that when she steps onto the court and plays.

“She’s with us for another year so this is just another step for her to understand how she can contribute at this level with limited minutes and to go and prove that she get opportunities against some of the better teams.

“That’s the next challenge for her. Can she go on and give me two minutes against the top teams in this league with the same quality that she did against Cardiff?

“Fio is in her first year with us and I just love her attitude, she’s just great.

“She’s fearless and when she steps on the floor she just plays.

“She’s got a lot of improvement to do in the game and she’s got a lot of stuff to work on with her physicality.

“But when you’re young and fearless it’s just a fantastic thing to see and we encourage that at Oaklands all the time.”