BENDIGO Spirit star Tessa Lavey has urged basketball fans to show their support and appreciation for club legends Gabe Richards and Kelly Wilson ahead of a big night of milestones this Friday night.
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Richards, a two-time championship player, will play the last home game of her star-studded career in the national league when the Spirit clash with Perth Lynx.
The two-time WNBL All-Star announced before last Saturday night's game against Southside Flyers that she will be retiring at the end of the season.
Friday night's clash against the Lynx will be the team's last game this season at Bendigo Stadium.
The Spirit will play a pair of road games in Townsville and Sydney to end their season.
The farewell game for Richards will coincide with her 250th WNBL game.
A massive night of milestones at Bendigo Stadium will include star point guard Kelly Wilson's 395th game, establishing her as the league's all-time games played record holder.
Lavey, who top scored against the Flyers with 20 points, is hoping as many fans as possible turn out on Friday night to show their respect for the pair.
"I don't think people understand how huge this is going to be," she said.
"I feel we need more hype - I want to be that hype man."
Lavey, who is in her second stint as a Spirit player and was a championship-winning team-mate of Richards and Wilson in 2013-14, spoke glowingly of the impact her fellow guard had on her and their team-mates, describing her as a 'competitive beast'.
"I like playing with her, I liked playing against her. She is just a competitor and the knowledge that she has and can share, is something that doesn't come around very often," she said.
Spirit coach Tracy York was equally effusive in her praise of the pair.
"I suppose because Gabe didn't play (Saturday) night it put a bit of a dampener on where she would be as she has been playing some really good basketball," she said.
"But we want her back and we want her on the court next Friday.
"She is great. She sits on the sidelines and I think she sees things now from a coaching perspective.
"For those two players to do something special (on Friday) together is really cool."
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