SHE has four WNBL championships alongside her name and on Friday night Kelly Wilson will break the league record for the most games played.
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But it's neither of those achievements that the champion point guard believes defines her basketball career or life away away from the court.
For Wilson, who will suit up for WNBL game number 395 against Perth Lynx on Friday at Bendigo Stadium, there is no price you can pay for friendship.
"Obviously you play sport because you are competitive and because you enjoy winning - and I love winning - but to be honest, the benefits for me from being able to play sport is the lifelong friendships I've made," she said.
"I look at someone like Gabe (Richards), who I met when I was really young, and the fact is we are still friends now.
"I know regardless of whether we are playing basketball together, those friendships are lifelong.
"Those friendships are the successes that mean the most to me."
Given the value she puts on friendship, it's fitting Wilson will get to share her milestone with Richards, who is lining up for her 250th game for the Spirit, and her last for the club on their home court.
The pair have shared countless memories and successes since first being under-age team-mates for Victoria Country and later at the AIS in 2002-03.
Wilson's arrival at the Spirit in 2008-09 followed that of Richards a year earlier, in the club's inaugural WNBL season.
Together they won championships in 2012-13 and 2013-14 and played in a third-straight grand final in 2014-15.
Their dynamic and prolific union went on hold when Wilson departed for Townsville in 2016, but was revived when the pair teamed up for Bendigo Braves in the 2018 SEABL season before they again joined forces in the WNBL this season.
Ever the consummate professional off and on the court, Wilson is approaching her record-breaking game the same as any other played throughout her star-studded career - with a minimum of fuss and fanfare.
"(It's) the same as any other game ... looking forward to getting the opportunity to play again and looking forward to having a win," she said.
"Those friendships (made from basketball) are the successes that mean the most to me.
- Kelly Wilson
"(The games record) is not something I was thinking about during the season, I think it's something I will look back on when I retire and be happy that I achieved that number of games.
"But anytime you have a milestone, the opportunity to play a home game in front of a home crowd and family and friends is great. That's something I'm looking forward to.
"I'm also looking forward to celebrating one of my best mate's last home game. I am just happy for Gabe and happy to be involved."
Wilson, who overtakes five-time championship guard Jess Bibby (Canberra and Dandenong) as the games record holder, would like nothing more than to give Richards the 'perfect send-off' with a victory.
"That's the aim, but win, loss, draw, I don't think that will take away from Gabe's career and what she's achieved," she said.
"She is obviously one of my favourite players to play with - I'm pretty biased. She's a very intelligent player, she's hard-working.
"She has been dominant in this league since she started. For me to watch her and play with her for so long, I just feel privileged."
The 35-year-old, who also won championships in Townsville (2017-18) and Canberra (2018-19), insisted no decision had been made on whether she embarked on a 19th WNBL season or not.
That is despite plenty of backing to continue from team-mates and others, including the player whose games record she will surpass in Bibby.
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It's been a year of milestones for Wilson, who notched up her 200th game for the Spirit in a round 10 clash against Sydney Uni Flames.
Having played half of her 18 WNBL seasons in Bendigo - and lived and worked in Bendigo even longer - Wilson believed the Spirit had changed dramatically since the day she first arrived in 2008, but remained confident as ever in the club's future as Victoria's only regionally-based sporting team competing in a national competition
"When I got here it was the second year of the Bendigo Spirit. There have been a lot of players who have come and gone since I started here," she said.
"Just in terms of what the club and community have been able to do, the professionalism, the facilities and things like that, it's been amazing.
"There's been a lot of success too that we had through 2013, '14 and '15. I was really glad to be a part of that and part of the Bendigo Spirit.
"I think they should have a long history."
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