So much of the credit should go to Nan when it was announced this week that Melbourne, at 21, will represent Australia in Paris for her first Olympic Games. On Saturday night, in her first game since being called up to the national team, she scored four points in the Mystics' 74-67 loss to the Minnesota Lynx.
The call from Paris came on a Friday morning while Melbourne was still in bed. The name of Sandy Brondello, coach of the New York Liberty and Australian national team, popped up on her cell phone. It was a call Melbourne had been waiting for since she was in grade school.
“It's the best thing for me to represent my country,” Melbourne said, “so it's a dream come true. When it was actually official it was a whole other feeling. I was so happy. I FaceTimed my mum and my dad. It was 2am.”
“Probably my first big goal in basketball. For it to become a reality and for me to be heading to Paris in three weeks is pretty cool.”
It's been a busy year for Melbourne. She was traded to the Mystics from the Seattle Storm just days before the end of training camp. The Storm also acquired another guard in the draft, Nika Muhl of Connecticut. General manager Mike Thibault praised assistant general manager Maria Giovanetti for her persistence in negotiations with Seattle.
Melbourne realized something was wrong when they showed up for morning practice on their day off and Storms general manager Talitha Lear called them in. By midday, the Mystics had sent over their plane tickets.
“I only brought two suitcases when I came over from Australia so packing was easy,” Melbourne said. “It was amazing. It was really overwhelming. The trade thing happened so quickly and it was a very strange feeling walking into a different locker room than the day before.”
“But to be honest, I can't imagine it any other way. And I think it was the best thing for me.”
The second-year guard has since established herself in the Mystics rotation, averaging 6.1 points while shooting 46 percent from the field through Saturday and providing a steady energy off the bench with her quickness and willingness to attack the rim — a style of play that has become essential with the injury to Brittney Sykes (foot sprain), who has only played in three games.
Melbourne also still have her under contract until 2026, with a team option for the final season.
“The opportunity to acquire a young player with great potential was really appealing to everybody,” Thibault said. “It's not often that a third-round pick makes a team. We felt we had to give her a chance. … With injuries to some of our guys, it was even better giving her more of a chance.”
“She loves being in the gym, and that's contagious to everyone around her. There's hardly a sad day around her.”
Rookie point guard Julie Van Lew, the oldest player in the league at 31, has become close friends with Melbourne and describes her as wise beyond her years. There is a positive feeling shared between the two, and a natural connection despite the age difference.
Van Lew said there was a “fearlessness” to Melbourne's game and the pair had used their strengths to help each other grow, adding: “She's definitely a basketball nerd. She has a passion for the game.”
They also share a shared love for Chipotle.
“We're not high-end ladies,” Van Loo said with a laugh. “We're not looking to spend a ton of money on expensive dinners. We're just regular people.”
“Meals are cheaper in Melbourne so I can save on my per diem,” he added.
The Mystics (5-17) rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second half after a terrible first quarter against the Lynx (15-6) on Saturday, but their offense went cold in the fourth quarter of the loss. The Mystics shot 50 percent from the field through the first three quarters but were just 4 of 18 in the final period.
Arielle Atkins and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough each scored 15 points for the Mystics. Myisha Hines-Allen had 11 points, a season-high 11 rebounds and six assists.
Sykes, who was sidelined Saturday with a foot injury, played for Melbourne in Australia's Canberra Capitals, and she remembers the shock she felt when, as a young 19-year-old, Melbourne ran into her with a crossover dribble during practice, stopping the WNBA All-Star defender in her tracks.
““Shit, who is this kid?” Sykes said of his initial reaction. “I think that was probably the first time I saw a young player at that age and thought, “Okay, I could make it to the league right now.”
“She's growing so much now. Maybe she's slowing down. [a bit]”She's still super fast. She can get to the basket and she can shoot. But I'm also seeing her take on a leadership role.”
Melbourne is a huge basketball nerd and watches as many WNBA games as she can and constantly keeps up with the highlights online. When she's back in Australia, she regularly watches the WNBL and European games. Melbourne is fascinated by the basketball fundamentals and IQ on display in the European leagues and eagerly watches as much footage as she can.
His parents, who bought him the trampoline, didn't play, so he has no family connection to the sport, but his grandma made a lifelong fortune in Melbourne.
“Honestly, I just love the sport,” Melbourne says, “it feels like I've never worked a day in my life because I still love it the same way I did when I started. … I love watching basketball. Basketball is a never-ending process. There's no perfect game. Nobody shoots 100% from the field, so I just try to figure out how to get as close to that as possible.”
