ONE of the hardest working players on the Bendigo Spirit’s roster has re-signed for the 2017-18 WNBL season.
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Heather Oliver is coming off two of her best WNBL seasons, and was quick to sign on for her sixth year with the Spirit.
“Heather’s work both on and off the court is outstanding,” Spirit coach Simon Pritchard said.
“You don’t have to remind her to dig deep and fight hard. That’s in Heather’s DNA.
“Between her work ethic and passion, and the flexibility she gives our team, she is a great asset.
“While she can bring the ball down the court for us, she is also remarkably strong on the boards.
"Not a lot of people know, but she often has just as many offensive rebounds as defensive ones.
“That is a great skill to bring to the table.”
Oliver averaged 5.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 24 appearances for the Spirit last season.
She had a season-high 15 points in the Spirit's opening round win over the Adelaide Lightning.
The 29 year old said she is proud to again be suiting up for the team she loves.
“I love the Spirit, the fans, the club and the city, so to be asked to play again is a real honour,” she said.
“We were unbeatable at times last year and supporters will like what they see this season."
Oliver debuted for the Spirit in 2010-11 and has missed only one season since in 2012-13.
The Spirit have now signed eight players, including the returning Kelsey Griffin, Gabe Richards, Nadeen Payne, Ashleigh Spencer and Kara Tessari.
They have two new imports – former Perth Lynx star Betnijah Laney and fellow American Rachel Banham.