Despite receiving offers from several Women's National Basketball League clubs, Richards yesterday signed with the newly formed Jimmy Possum Bendigo Spirit.

Richards is the second signing for the Spirit after home-grown product Andrea Walsh last week became the first player to commit to Bendigo's new WNBL team.

'‘I took into account all the other offers I had, but when it came down to it, to be part of the first season in the WNBL with Bendigo will be very exciting,'' said Richards, who is in her first year with the Bendigo IGA Lady Braves in the South East Australian Basketball League.

‘‘After playing in the SEABL and having the support we do for women's basketball in Bendigo, to be part of the first year with the Spirit was basically an offer I couldn't refuse.'' Richards, 22, grew up in Seymour, and the city of Bendigo played an integral part in the development of her career, which has included stints in the WNBL with the Australian Institute of Sport and with Oregon College in America.

‘‘A fair bit of my junior development was done here in Bendigo,'' she said.

‘‘Being from Seymour a lot of the Victoria Country camps and Saturday morning training sessions were in Bendigo, so I did a lot of my training here.'' Coach Bernie Harrower believes the signing of Richards encapsulates what the Spirit is all about.

‘‘Gabrielle is from regional Victoria, she played a little bit of juniors here in her early days, and it's one of those situations where this is what we're all about,'' Harrower said.

‘‘To have a WNBL team in Bendigo where country Victorians can come and play without having to relocate to the metropolitan areas or go interstate is important, and having Gabrielle sign is the perfect fit for us.

‘‘Gabrielle was certainly a sought-after commodity, so we feel privileged that we have been able to get her here to Bendigo to fill that centre position for us in the WNBL.'' Harrower expects Richards to be in the top echelon of centres in the WNBL.

He believes the present SEABL season, in which she is averaging 16.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, will be the perfect lead in to the WNBL season for Richards, who represented Australia at the 2003 world under-23 championships, and was the Victorian Female Basketballer of the Year in 2002.'‘I see her as being able to compete with the best in the competition, and she will be one of the true back-to-the-basket centres in the league who can also step out to the three-point line and knock the shot down,'' he said.

The 2007-08 WNBL season will tip off in October.

Meanwhile, in SEABL news, the Schweppes Centre will host a double-header tomorrow night.

The Lady Braves will play Kilsyth from 6.30 pm, while the Bendigo Telstra Braves will play the Australian Institute of Sport at 8.30 pm.