Anneli Maley (born 1 September 1998) is an Australian professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player for the Perth Redbacks of the

NBL1 West NBL1 West, formerly the State Basketball League (SBL), is a semi-professional basketball league in Western Australia, comprising both a men's and women's competition. In 2020, Basketball Western Australia partnered with the National Basketball L ...

. She is also contracted with the

Perth Lynx The Perth Lynx are an Australian professional basketball team based in Perth, Western Australia. The Lynx compete in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) and play their home games at both WA Basketball Centre, Bendat Basketball Centre ...

of the

Women's National Basketball League The Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) is a professional women's basketball list of basketball leagues, league in Australia composed of eight teams. The league was founded in 1981 and is the Women's sports, women's counterpart to the Na ...

(WNBL). She made her WNBL debut in 2016 and then spent two seasons in the United States playing

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the

Oregon Ducks The Oregon Ducks are the College sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon, Eugene. The Ducks compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCA ...

and

TCU Horned Frogs The TCU Horned Frogs are the athletic teams that represent Texas Christian University. The 18 varsity teams participate in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA Division I and in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for football, competi ...

. With the Bendigo Spirit in 2022, she was named the WNBL Most Valuable Player.

Early life and career

Maley was born in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, Victoria, in the suburb of

East Melbourne East Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. East Melbourne recorded a population of 4,896 at the 2021 ce ...

. She attended Eltham High School and played both basketball and

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

as a youth. In 2014 as a 15-year-old, Maley moved to

Canberra Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...

to attend the

Australian Institute of Sport The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) is a high performance sports training institution in Australia. The institute's headquarters were opened in 1981 and are situated in the northern suburb of Bruce, Canberra. The AIS is a division of the ...

(AIS) and play for the BA Centre of Excellence in the

South East Australian Basketball League The South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) was a semi-professional basketball league in Australia comprising both a men's and women's competition. The SEABL began in 1981 and operated for 38 seasons until it was disbanded in 2018. The ...

(SEABL). After two seasons, she returned to Melbourne and was set to play for the Nunawading Spectres in the 2016 SEABL season. However, due to burnout which led to anxiety and depression, Maley took time away from basketball in 2016 after she was admitted to a hospital psychiatric ward after a panic attack mirrored the physical symptoms of a

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest (also known as sudden cardiac arrest CA is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When the heart stops beating, blood cannot properly Circulatory system, circulate around the body and the blood flow to the ...

. Maley returned to basketball later in the year at Box Hill Senior Secondary College, where she led the school to the Australian Schools Championship title. In December 2016, Maley signed with the

Adelaide Lightning The Adelaide Lightning are an Australian professional basketball team competing in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). The club is based in the city of Adelaide, South Australia, and will play their home games at the State Basketball ...

for the rest of the 2016–17 WNBL season. In 12 games, she averaged 3.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. She then played for the Dandenong Rangers in the 2017 SEABL season.

College career

In April 2017, Maley signed a

National Letter of Intent The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manag ...

to play

for the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...

. With the

Ducks Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...

of the

Pac-12 Conference The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the Western United States. It participates at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I level for all sports, and its Co ...

in the

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...

, she played in 37 games as a freshman in 2017–18, including all 18 Pac-12 regular season games and all three Pac-12 tournament games as the Ducks won both conference titles. She averaged just under 10 minutes per game and scored a total of 81 points on the season. In April 2018, Maley transferred to

Texas Christian University Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private university, private research university in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison Clark, Addison and Randolph Clark as the AddRan Male & Female College. It i ...

(TCU). She was initially deemed ineligible to play in the 2018–19 season due to

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

transfer rules, but she received a waiver to play immediately. She left the

mid-season after playing 10 games between 6 November and 20 December.

Professional career

In February 2019, Maley signed with the Diamond Valley Eagles for the inaugural

NBL1 The NBL1 is a semi-professional basketball league in Australia run by the National Basketball League (NBL). The league consists of five conferences: NBL1 South, NBL1 North, NBL1 Central, NBL1 West and NBL1 East, with each consisting of bot ...

season. She went on to earn NBL1 Youth Player of the Year honours. In August 2019, Maley signed with the

Southside Flyers The Southside Flyers are an Australian professional basketball team based in Melbourne, Victoria. The Flyers compete in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) and play their home games at the State Basketball Centre. For sponsorship pur ...

for the 2019–20 WNBL season. Maley joined the Sydney Uni Flames for the 2020 WNBL Hub season in Queensland. She then joined the Eltham Wildcats for the 2021

NBL1 South NBL1 South is a semi-professional basketball league in Victoria (state), Victoria and Tasmania, Australia, comprising both a men's and women's competition. In 2019, Basketball Victoria partnered with the National Basketball League (Australia), ...

season. Maley joined the Bendigo Spirit for the 2021–22 WNBL season and went on to win the WNBL Most Valuable Player Award. She subsequently joined the

Chicago Sky The Chicago Sky are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Sky compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The franchise was founded prior to the 2006 season. Th ...

and had a four-game stint during the

2022 WNBA season The 2022 WNBA season was the 26th season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Chicago Sky were the defending champions. The WNBA's second Commissioner's Cup took place during the regular season, with the Las Vegas Aces w ...

. She then returned to the Eltham Wildcats for the 2022 NBL1 South season. After a second season with the Bendigo Spirit in 2022–23, Maley re-joined the Chicago Sky for the 2023 WNBA preseason. She then returned to the Eltham Wildcats for her third NBL1 South season. On 23 June 2023, Maley signed with the

for the 2023–24 WNBL season. She was named team captain. In her debut on 3 November 2023, she had 21 rebounds against the

Sydney Flames The Sydney Flames are an Australian professional basketball team based in Sydney, New South Wales. The Flames compete in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) and play their home games at Quaycentre. The club began as the Bankstown Brui ...

to break the Lynx's 20-rebound record set by Jenny Crouse in 2002. On 18 February 2024, she had 17 points, 20 rebounds and eight assists in a 94–79 win over the University of Canberra Capitals. She helped the Lynx reach the WNBL grand final, where they lost 2–1 to the Southside Flyers. Maley missed two free throws and a lay-up in the dying stages of game two of the grand final series when scores were tied. The Flyers won on the buzzer and then won the championship in game three. Maley joined the Perth Redbacks of the

for the 2024 season. On 7 June, she had 27 points and 24 rebounds in a 91–90 loss to the Lakeside Lightning. She was named to the All-NBL1 West First Team. On 5 July 2024, Maley re-signed with the Lynx for the

2024–25 WNBL season The 2024–25 WNBL season was the 45th season of the competition since its establishment in 1981. The Southside Flyers were the defending champions, but they failed to qualify for Finals this season. The Bendigo Spirit won their third champions ...

. On 18 January 2025, she had 22 rebounds in an 86–78 win over the Southside Flyers, breaking the club record for the most rebounds in a game. Following the WNBL season, she re-joined the Perth Redbacks for the 2025 NBL1 West season. On 4 April 2025, she recorded a

triple-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...

with 29 points, 30 rebounds and 10 assists in the Redbacks' 113–89 win over the Joondalup Wolves. On 17 April, she recorded 37 points, 23 rebounds and six steals in a 96–91 win over the Perry Lakes Hawks. On 2 February 2025, Maley signed with the

Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles Sparks are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Crypto.co ...

for training camp ahead of the

2025 WNBA season The 2025 WNBA season is the ongoing 29th season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The regular season began on May 16, 2025, and is scheduled to end on September 11. The fifth edition of the WNBA Commissioner's Cup will be held ...

. She was waived prior to the start of the regular season. On 16 June 2025, Maley re-signed with the Perth Lynx on a two-year deal.

WNBA career statistics

Regular season

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Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

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National team career

Maley first played for Australia at the 2013 FIBA Oceania Under-16 Championship. She went on to play at the

2014 FIBA Under-17 World Championship The 2014 FIBA Under-17 World Championship (Arabic: بطولة العالم لكرة السلة 2014 تحت 17 سنة ) was the 3rd edition of the FIBA Under-17 World Championship, the biennial international men's youth basketball championship co ...

, 2014 FIBA Oceania Under-18 Championship,

2015 FIBA Under-19 World Championship The 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Championship (Greek: Παγκόσμιο Πρωτάθλημα FIBA Under-19 2015) was the 12th edition of the FIBA U19 World Championship, the biennial international men's youth basketball championship contested by t ...

, and 2017 FIBA Under-19 World Cup. In 2022, Maley played for the Australian Opals at the

FIBA World Cup The FIBA Basketball World Cup is an international basketball competition between the senior men's national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the sport's global governing body. It takes place every four ye ...

. With the Australian 3x3 team, Maley won silver at the 2022 FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup and bronze at the

2023 FIBA 3x3 World Cup The 2023 FIBA 3x3 World Cup was an international 3x3 (basketball), 3x3 basketball event that featured competitions for men's and women's national teams. The tournament ran between 30 May and 4 June 2023 in Vienna, Austria. Medal summary Medal tab ...

. She helped Australia win gold at the 2024 FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup and helped the team win the 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament. She was subsequently named in Australia's first 3x3 Olympic team for the

2024 Paris Olympics The 2024 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad () and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held in France from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with several events started from 24 July. P ...

. In March 2025, she was named in the Australia 3x3 team for the FIBA 3x3 Champions Cup in Bangkok, Thailand. She helped the team win the 3x3 Champions Cup bronze medal. Later that month, she helped Australia win back-to-back gold medals at the 2025 FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup. In June 2025, she was named in the Australia 3x3 team for the 2025 FIBA 3x3 World Cup in Mongolia.

Personal life

Maley's father, Paul Maley, was born in the United States and later moved to Australia where he played 270 games in the National Basketball League (NBL). She has two brothers. Her brother, Finnbar, was drafted by the

North Melbourne Football Club The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos or colloquially the Roos, is a professional Australian rules football club. The men's team competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), and the women's team in the AFL Women's (AF ...

in 2023. Maley's fiancé,

Marena Whittle Marena Whittle (born 28 January 1994) is an Australian professional basketball player. Early life Whittle was born in Melbourne, Victoria, in the suburb of Vermont South. She attended Caulfield Grammar School in Melbourne. College Whittle p ...

, is also a professional basketball player.

References

External links

*
NBL1 profileBasketball Australia profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maley, Anneli 1998 births Living people Adelaide Lightning players Australian expatriate basketball people in the United States Australian lesbian sportswomen Australian women's basketball players Basketball players from Melbourne Chicago Sky players FISU World University Games gold medalists for Australia Forwards (basketball) LGBTQ people from Victoria (state) LGBTQ basketball players Medalists at the 2019 Summer Universiade Oregon Ducks women's basketball players People from East Melbourne Perth Lynx players Southside Flyers players Sportswomen from Victoria (state) TCU Horned Frogs women's basketball players Summer World University Games medalists in basketball 3x3 basketball players at the 2024 Summer Olympics Olympic 3x3 basketball players for Australia 21st-century Australian sportswomen