# 2017–18 Melbourne Boomers season

The 2017–18 Melbourne Boomers season is the 35th season for the franchise in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL).

## Standings

| # | WNBL Championship ladder | WNBL Championship ladder | WNBL Championship ladder | WNBL Championship ladder | WNBL Championship ladder |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GP |
| 1 | Perth Lynx | 15 | 6 | 71.4 | 21 |
| 2 | Sydney Uni Flames | 14 | 7 | 66.6 | 21 |
| 3 | Townsville Fire | 14 | 7 | 66.6 | 21 |
| 4 | Melbourne Boomers | 12 | 9 | 57.1 | 21 |
| 5 | Adelaide Lightning | 11 | 10 | 52.3 | 21 |
| 6 | Canberra Capitals | 7 | 14 | 33.3 | 21 |
| 7 | Dandenong Rangers | 7 | 14 | 33.3 | 21 |
| 8 | Bendigo Spirit | 4 | 17 | 19.1 | 21 |

## Results
### Pre-season

| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location | Record |
| 1 | September 9 | Invitational Team | 90–76 | O'Hea (16) | Purcell (8) | Cole (5) | Boardman Stadium | 1–0 |
| 2 | September 15 | Adelaide | 61–80 | – | – | – | Nunawading Basketball Centre | 1–1 |
| 3 | September 16 | Dandenong | 79–75 | Cole (19) | Purcell (10) | Cole (5) | Kilsyth Sports Centre | 2–1 |
| 4 | September 22 | Bendigo | 72–73 | Grant (31) | Purcell (9) | O'Hea (7) | MARS Minerdome | 2–2 |

### Regular season

| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location | Record |
| 1 | October 5 | @ Dandenong | 76–61 | Cambage (17) | O'Hea (11) | Purcell, Smart (4) | Dandenong Stadium | 1–0 |
| 2 | October 7 | Townsville | 54–63 | Cambage (15) | O'Hea (14) | Cole (4) | State Basketball Centre | 1–1 |
| 3 | October 13 | Bendigo | 90–63 | Cambage (25) | Cambage (14) | O'Hea (5) | Geelong Arena | 2–1 |
| 4 | October 15 | @ Canberra | 92–63 | Cambage (27) | Cambage (9) | Cole (5) | National Convention Centre | 3–1 |
| 5 | October 21 | Perth | 79–77 (OT) | Cambage (23) | Cambage (23) | Cole (8) | State Basketball Centre | 4–1 |
| 6 | October 27 | @ Sydney | 56–65 | Cambage (19) | Purcell (8) | Conti, Purcell, Smart (3) | Brydens Stadium | 4–2 |
| 7 | October 29 | @ Townsville | 57–64 | Smart (16) | Cambage (6) | Tomlinson (3) | Townsville RSL Stadium | 4–3 |
| 8 | November 4 | @ Bendigo | 66–71 | Garrick (18) | Tomlinson (11) | Smart (5) | Bendigo Stadium | 4–4 |
| 9 | November 6 | Dandenong | 60–57 | Cambage (27) | Purcell (10) | Smart (6) | State Basketball Centre | 5–4 |
| 10 | November 11 | @ Sydney | 88–65 | O'Hea (22) | Purcell (10) | Purcell (6) | Brydens Stadium | 6–4 |
| 11 | November 12 | Adelaide | 77–74 | Cambage (44) | Cambage (12) | Cole, Smart (4) | State Basketball Centre | 7–4 |
| 12 | November 18 | Canberra | 96–66 | Cambage (32) | Purcell (12) | Purcell (5) | State Basketball Centre | 8–4 |
| 13 | November 23 | @ Townsville | 66–73 | O'Hea (13) | Purcell (11) | Purcell (6) | Townsville RSL Stadium | 8–5 |
| 14 | November 26 | Sydney | 89–101 | Cambage (22) | Cole, Purcell, Tomlinson (5) | Cambage (7) | State Basketball Centre | 8–6 |
| 15 | December 2 | Canberra | 92–72 | Cambage (38) | Cambage (13) | O'Hea (6) | State Basketball Centre | 9–6 |
| 16 | December 7 | Bendigo | 86–42 | O'Hea (18) | Cambage (12) | O'Hea (6) | State Basketball Centre | 10–6 |
| 17 | December 9 | @ Adelaide | 64–62 | Cambage (32) | Cambage, Purcell (11) | Cole, O'Hea, Smart (4) | Titanium Security Arena | 11–6 |
| 18 | December 17 | Perth | 89–92 | Cambage (38) | Cambage (15) | O'Hea (7) | State Basketball Centre | 11–7 |
| 19 | December 21 | @ Adelaide | 56–67 | Cambage (21) | Cambage (17) | O'Hea (5) | Titanium Security Arena | 11–8 |
| 20 | December 23 | @ Perth | 66–84 | O'Hea (15) | Purcell (13) | O'Hea (6) | Bendat Basketball Centre | 11–9 |
| 21 | December 30 | Dandenong | 80–45 | Cambage (20) | Purcell (10) | Garrick (4) | State Basketball Centre | 12–9 |

### Finals
#### Semi-finals

| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location | Series |
| 1 | January 3 | Perth | 92–76 | Cole (21) | Cambage (9) | O'Hea (11) | State Basketball Centre | 1–0 |
| 2 | January 5 | @ Perth | 78–69 | Cambage (25) | Cambage (15) | Purcell (6) | Bendat Basketball Centre | 2–0 |

#### Grand Final

| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location | Series |
| 1 | January 13 | @ Townsville | 64–69 | Cambage (26) | Cambage (13) | O'Hea, Purcell (4) | Townsville RSL Stadium | 0–1 |
| 2 | January 18 | Townsville | 58–57 | Cambage (19) | Purcell (10) | Cole, O'Hea (3) | State Basketball Centre | 1–1 |
| 3 | January 21 | @ Townsville | 57–70 | Cambage (18) | Cambage (9) | O'Hea (6) | Townsville RSL Stadium | 1–2 |

## Signings
### Returning

| Player | Signed | Contract |
| Monique Conti | March 2017 | 1-year contract |
| Brittany Smart | March 2017 | 1-year contract |
| Madeleine Garrick | March 2017 | 1-year contract |
| Rebecca Ott | March 2017 | 1-year contract |
| Rebecca Cole | March 2017 | 1-year contract |

### Incoming

| Player | Signed | Contract |
| Jenna O'Hea | 9 March 2017 | 2-year contract |
| Liz Cambage | 3 May 2017 | 1-year contract |
| Louella Tomlinson | 3 May 2017 | 1-year contract |
| Kalani Purcell | 7 June 2017 | 2-year contract |
| Courtney Duever | 28 June 2017 | 1-year contract |
| Ashleigh Grant | 31 August 2017 | 1-year development player contract |

## Awards
### In-season

| Award | Recipient | Round(s) / Date |
| Team of the Week | Liz Cambage | Rounds: 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11 |
| Team of the Week | Jenna O'Hea | Round 6 |
| Player of the Week | Liz Cambage | Rounds: 3, 5, 6, 9 |