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BENDIGO Bank Spirit recruit Joy Burke has played basketball in a lot of countries.
Tonight, less than a month before her 25th birthday, she will add Australia to that long list when she suits up in the first round of the 2015-16 WNBL season against the South East Queensland Stars.
Burke lived in Taiwan until she was 12 and represents that country at international level. She is the tallest basketballer ever to represent Taiwan.
Her father is American, and she now calls Texas home.
Burke holds her high school record of 17 free throws in a single game, and once scored 51 of her team’s 68 points.
She is also an elite volleyball player.
However, Burke’s talents are not just confined to the court.
While at high school she was voted Top Teen in her hometown of Tempe, was English Student of the Year, Homecoming
Queen and earned Scholar-Athlete honours four times.
She was also in a shampoo commercial when she was four.
“Don’t tell everybody that, the girls won’t let me live that down. That’s embarrassing,” she said.
What is clear immediately when you spend time with Burke, is how well she fits in, something —unlike the shampoo commercial — that did happen overnight.
“I am working on my Aussie accent, which (fellow American import) Kelsey (Griffin) finds hilarious,” she said.
“I think I’ve mastered ‘no worries’ and I’m making progress on ‘G’day’.”
Despite flying half way around the world to play for the Spirit, Burke is astonished at how comfortable she is feeling in Bendigo.
“Kelsey always talks about how she felt at home almost immediately in Bendigo, and I can really understand what she means,” she said.
“This is a great town, with a great community and a great team.
“The girls are really close and the coaches are clearly working us through a great program.
“Whatever we do on the court this season, it will be done together, for each other.”
Burke is urging as many locals as possible to jump on board this season and help the team do its best.
“I would love to see as many locals as possible at our first home game on October 18,” she said.
The Spirit open their season in Brisbane tonight against WNBL newcomers the Stars, ahead of a grand final rematch against the Townsville Fire on Saturday night.
Their home opener will be against the Perth Lynx on October 18.