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- Canadian international Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe joins WNBL club Bendigo Spirit
- Seattle Storm WNBA point guard Blake Dietrick signs with Bendigo Spirit
- Kerryn Harrington re-signs with Bendigo Spirit
- Bendigo Spirit sign former Australian junior Nadeen Payne for 2016-17 WNBL season
- Gabe Richards back for a ninth season with the Spirit
- Heather Oliver re-signs with Bendigo Spirit
- Bendigo Spirit re-signs Ashleigh Spencer for a second WNBL season
BENDIGO Bank Spirit coach Simon Pritchard says he is happy with the quality and depth of his squad for the 2016-17 WNBL season.
The Spirit have signed 10 players, including a pair of new imports in Canadian power forward Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe and American point guard Blake Dietrick.
They have also added former South East Queensland forward Nadeen Payne and SEABL guard Ashleigh Kariatiana to a roster that returns star frontcourt duo Kelsey Griffin and Gabe Richards, guards Kerryn Harrington and Heather Oliver and back-up forward Ashleigh Spencer.
Guard Jane Chalmers is set to return for a 10th season, with Pritchard saying all that was to be added was a couple of young development players.
He said it was unquestionable the roster ran deeper than last year's line-up which finished the season in sixth place.
"We've got that depth on the bench now that when we sub, we should be able to play a much faster tempo game," he said.
"And we have got a situation where a number of players are six foot (183cm), so defensively we will be able to switch a lot of things and play a better brand of defence.
"The girls we have brought in are really good athletes - can move, can shoot and are mobile."
The departures from last year's team are headed by American import Joy Burke, free agent Belinda Snell and point guard Kelly Wilson, who has switched to reigning champions Townsville Fire.
Pritchard said the Spirit's depth had been well and truly tested, particularly late last season when two-time WNBL All-Star Griffin went down with a hamstring injury.
"We were really expecting a bit more out of Joy for her height - we needed an extra 10 or 15 minutes out of her," he said.
"We just about wore the girls out - I had Snelly playing 35 minutes, Kelly playing 37 minutes.
"Really what we want to do is get our starters down to 30 minutes so they are getting a rest every quarter, so come the end of the season they are not completely worn out.
"Having this depth means we will be able to rotate more people and sub a bit more freely during the course of the season and cover the injuries we do get."
Pritchard said he spoke with new import Raincock-Ekunwe on Wednesday night and had been encouraged by her performances with the national team against China over the past week.
The 25-year-old stepped into Canada's starting line-up for their 71-59 victory on Tuesday (Australian time) in Edmonton.
She responded with a solid performance with nine points and eight rebounds and three assists.
Team Canada head coach Lisa Thomaidis praised Raincock-Ekunwe for her relentless work on the boards and providing "spark and energy".
There’s never a possession where we have to tell her to get on the boards, and she’s a tough one to stop," Thomaidis told the Edmonton Journal.
"She comes down with a lot of boards and gives us a lot of extra possessions."
The Spirit newcomer faces a nervous wait, with the Canadian team for the Rio Olympics not being finalised until July 22.
Meanwhile, Dietrick has signed a short-term deal with the San Antonio Stars after being cut by WNBA rivals Seattle Storm.
She played eight minutes for two points and three rebounds in the Stars' last game, a 57-81 loss to Minnesota Lynx.
The Stars next play the Phoenix Mercury on July 17 (Australian time).