Stephanie Collins

D.O.B: 30/12/82

Height: 5′7″

Weight:

Position: Guard

Notes:

A member of the successful EBL team the UWIC Archers, the 5’7” guard is another of the select group of GB women who have appeared in each of the four years that the resurrected programme has been in existence.

Collins was born in England but raised in Italy and the United States, making a name for herself as a basketball and track and field star at high school in New York before playing at St Bonaventure where an impressive college career featured being named Rookie of the Year for the Atlantic 10 in 2001-02 and receiving honourable mentions and second team Atlantic 10 All-Conference selections from 2003-06. Not surprisingly, she is considered one of the best offensive players in the school’s history.

After leaving college, Collins headed back to Britain where her professional career began in 2006-07 with the Rhondda Rebels club, which featured in the EuroCup that season. Collins made the short journey across Wales to the Archers for the 2007-08 campaign where she quickly became established as one of the central performers on a consistently strong squad. By the 2008-09 season, the Archers’ second in the top flight of women’s basketball, she helped the club finish second in the regular season, play-off final and National Cup.

She proved herself equally important to Mark Clark’s fledgling GB programme, which won promotion from the B to A Division of the European Championship at the first time of asking in 2007, and retained her place over the two subsequent years.

Damian Jennings says: “Miss Dependable, a player who is ice-cool under pressure. Shifting from shooting guard to point guard at international level highlights just what she is prepared to do to be successful. Her offensive skill set is what stands out, a nice little runner in the lane, a quick pull-up, and a consistent perimeter shot from range. Her defensive IQ is also up there – she can pick up two or three spots very well. She makes mistakes, like everyone, but it is her ability to respond to them and remain ice cool that stands out.”