BENDIGO Bank Spirit coach Bernie Harrower’s season to remember continued last night when he was named the WNBL Coach of the Year.
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Harrower’s performance to lead the Spirit to their first WNBL championship made him the obvious choice for coach of the year honours.
The Spirit won a club record 21 games in the regular season to earn the WNBL minor premiership.
They went on to defeat the Dandenong Rangers in the second semi-final before proving too strong for Townsville in front of a packed home crowd in the grand final.
The award was presented to Harrower at the Basketball Australia awards ceremony at Crown Casino in Melbourne.
The Spirit dominated the WNBL awards.
Star guard Kristi Harrower was runner-up to Adelaide’s Suzy Batkovic for the league’s most prestigious individual award – the Most Valuable Player.
Harrower polled 151 votes to be 28 behind Batkovic, who also won the award last year.
Centre Gabe Richards was fourth with 117 votes.
Despite starting the season late, star import Kelsey Grffin was sixth on 107 votes.
Kristi Harrower won the Robyn Maher Defensive Player of the Year honour.
She joined Richards in the WNBL All-Star Five alongside Batkovic and Dandenong duo Jenna O’Hea and Kathleen Macleod.
Adelaide’s Suzy Talbot was named Rookie of the Year.
Centre Liz Cambage was named the Opals International Player of the Year.