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Anneli Maley

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Anneli Maley
Maley in 2025
No. 24 – Perth Lynx
PositionForward
LeagueWNBL
Personal information
Born (1998-09-01) 1 September 1998 (age 27)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Listed height185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Career information
High school
College
Playing career2014–present
Career history
2014–2015BA Centre of Excellence
2016–2017Adelaide Lightning
2017Dandenong Rangers
2019Diamond Valley Eagles
2019–2020Southside Flyers
2020Sydney Uni Flames
2021–2023Eltham Wildcats
2021–2023Bendigo Spirit
2022Chicago Sky
2023–presentPerth Lynx
2024–presentPerth Redbacks
Career highlights
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing  Australia
FIBA World Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Australia
Asia Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Australia
FIBA Under-19 World Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Australia U-19 Team
FIBA Oceania Junior Championship
Gold medal – first place 2013 Australia U-17 Team
Gold medal – first place 2014 Fiji U-19 Team
Women's 3x3 basketball
FIBA 3x3 World Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Vienna Team
Asia Cup
Gold medal – first place 2024 Singapore Team
Gold medal – first place 2025 Singapore Team

Anneli Maley (born 1 September 1998) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Perth Lynx of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). She is also contracted with the Perth Redbacks of the NBL1 West. She made her WNBL debut in 2016 and then spent two seasons in the United States playing college basketball for the Oregon Ducks and TCU Horned Frogs. With the Bendigo Spirit in 2022, she was named the WNBL Most Valuable Player.

Early life and career

[edit]

Maley was born in Melbourne, Victoria, in the suburb of East Melbourne.[1][2] She attended Eltham High School and played both basketball and volleyball as a youth.[3]

In 2014 as a 15-year-old, Maley moved to Canberra to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS)[3] and play for the BA Centre of Excellence in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL). After two seasons,[4] she returned to Melbourne and was set to play for the Nunawading Spectres in the 2016 SEABL season.[5] However, due to burnout which led to anxiety and depression, Maley took time away from basketball in 2016 after she was admitted to a hospital psychiatric ward after a panic attack mirrored the physical symptoms of a cardiac arrest.[3]

Maley returned to basketball later in the year at Box Hill Senior Secondary College, where she led the school to the Australian Schools Championship title.[6]

In December 2016, Maley signed with the Adelaide Lightning for the rest of the 2016–17 WNBL season.[7] In 12 games, she averaged 3.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.[8] She then played for the Dandenong Rangers in the 2017 SEABL season.[4]

College career

[edit]

In April 2017, Maley signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball for the University of Oregon.[9] With the Ducks of the Pac-12 Conference in the NCAA Division I, she played in 37 games as a freshman in 2017–18, including all 18 Pac-12 regular season games and all three Pac-12 tournament games as the Ducks won both conference titles. She averaged just under 10 minutes per game and scored a total of 81 points on the season.[8]

In April 2018, Maley transferred to Texas Christian University (TCU).[8] She was initially deemed ineligible to play in the 2018–19 season due to NCAA transfer rules,[8] but she received a waiver to play immediately.[10] She left the TCU Horned Frogs mid-season[10] after playing 10 games between 6 November and 20 December.[11]

Professional career

[edit]

In February 2019, Maley signed with the Diamond Valley Eagles of the NBL1 for the league's inaugural season.[12] She went on to earn NBL1 Youth Player of the Year honours.[13]

In August 2019, Maley signed with the Southside Flyers for the 2019–20 WNBL season.[14]

Maley joined the Sydney Uni Flames for the 2020 WNBL Hub season in Queensland.[15] She then joined the Eltham Wildcats of the NBL1 South for the 2021 NBL1 season.[11]

Maley joined the Bendigo Spirit for the 2021–22 WNBL season and went on to earn the WNBL Most Valuable Player Award and All-WNBL First Team honours.[16] She subsequently joined the Chicago Sky and had a four-game stint during the 2022 WNBA season.[11] She then returned to the Eltham Wildcats for the 2022 NBL1 South season.[11]

After a second season with the Bendigo Spirit in 2022–23,[17] Maley re-signed with the Chicago Sky[18] but later withdrew from training camp to support her father following his cancer diagnosis.[19] She subsequently re-joined the Eltham Wildcats for the 2023 NBL1 South season.[11]

On 23 June 2023, Maley signed with the Perth Lynx for the 2023–24 WNBL season.[20][21] She was named team captain.[22] In her debut on 3 November 2023, she had 21 rebounds against the Sydney Flames to break the Lynx's 20-rebound record set by Jenny Crouse in 2002.[23] On 18 February 2024, she had 17 points, 20 rebounds and eight assists in a 94–79 win over the University of Canberra Capitals.[24] She helped the Lynx reach the WNBL grand final, where they lost 2–1 to the Southside Flyers. Maley missed two free throws and a lay-up in the dying stages of game two of the grand final series when scores were tied. The Flyers won on the buzzer and then won the championship in game three.[25]

Maley joined the Perth Redbacks of the NBL1 West for the 2024 season.[26] On 7 June, she had 27 points and 24 rebounds in a 91–90 loss to the Lakeside Lightning.[27] She was named to the All-NBL1 West First Team.[28]

On 5 July 2024, Maley re-signed with the Lynx for the 2024–25 WNBL season.[29] She was named co-captain of the team alongside Amy Atwell.[30] On 18 January 2025, Maley had 22 rebounds in an 86–78 win over the Southside Flyers, breaking the club record for the most rebounds in a game.[31] Following the WNBL season, she joined the Los Angeles Sparks for training camp ahead of the 2025 WNBA season.[32][33] She was waived by the Sparks prior to the start of the regular season.[34]

Maley re-joined the Perth Redbacks for the 2025 NBL1 West season.[35][36] On 4 April 2025, she recorded a triple-double with 29 points, 30 rebounds and 10 assists in the Redbacks' 113–89 win over the Joondalup Wolves.[37][38] On 17 April, she recorded 37 points, 23 rebounds and six steals in a 96–91 win over the Perry Lakes Hawks.[39] She earned All-NBL1 West First Team honours for the second straight year.[40]

On 16 June 2025, Maley re-signed with the Perth Lynx on a two-year deal.[41][42][43] She returned as co-captain for the 2025–26 season.[44] On 23 December, she recorded 16 points and 21 rebounds in a 75–49 win over the Canberra Capitals.[45][46] On 1 February 2026, she tied her club record with 22 rebounds in an 88–64 win over the Bendigo Spirit.[47] Six days later, she had 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 108–93 win over the Sydney Flames, becoming just the fifth player in club history to record a triple-double (after Michele Timms, Tully Bevilaqua, Deanna Smith and Melissa Marsh) and the first since Marsh in 2009.[48][49] She finished the regular season as the league's leading rebounder with 14.2 per game.[50] For the season, she was named the Lynx Club MVP,[51] the WNBL's Fans MVP,[52][53] and earned All-WNBL First Team honours.[54][55] She helped the Lynx advance to their third WNBL Grand Final in five years,[56] recording a seventh straight double-double in game two of the semi-finals.[57]

She is set to re-join the Perth Redbacks for the 2026 NBL1 West season.[58]

WNBA career statistics

[edit]
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game  RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game  BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game  FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold  Career best ° League leader

Regular season

[edit]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2022 Chicago 4 0 11.0 .500 .667 .000 1.8 0.8 0.8 0.3 0.3 2.0
Career 1 year, 1 team 4 0 11.0 .500 .667 .000 1.8 0.8 0.8 0.3 0.3 2.0

National team career

[edit]

Maley first played for Australia at the 2013 FIBA Oceania Under-16 Championship. She went on to play at the 2014 FIBA Under-17 World Championship, 2014 FIBA Oceania Under-18 Championship, 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Championship, and 2017 FIBA Under-19 World Cup.[59][60]

In 2022, Maley played for the Australian Opals at the FIBA World Cup.[59]

With the Australian 3x3 team, Maley won silver at the 2022 FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup and bronze at the 2023 FIBA 3x3 World Cup.[61] She helped Australia win gold at the 2024 FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup[62] and helped the team win the 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament.[63] She was subsequently named in Australia's first 3x3 Olympic team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.[64] In March 2025, she was named in the Australia 3x3 team for the FIBA 3x3 Champions Cup in Bangkok, Thailand.[65] She helped the team win the 3x3 Champions Cup bronze medal.[66] Later that month, she helped Australia win back-to-back gold medals at the 2025 FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup.[67][68] In June 2025, she was named in the Australia 3x3 team for the 2025 FIBA 3x3 World Cup in Mongolia.[69]

Personal life

[edit]

Maley's father, Paul Maley, was born in the United States and later moved to Australia where he played 270 games in the National Basketball League (NBL).[3] She has two brothers.[3] Her brother, Finnbar, was drafted by the North Melbourne Football Club in 2023.[70]

Maley's fiancé, Marena Whittle, is also a professional basketball player.[71][72]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Anneli Maley". fiba.com. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  2. ^ "Anneli Maley". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e Pearce, Linda (16 February 2022). "The year away from basketball that saved Anneli Maley's mental health and career". codesports.com.au. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Player statistics for Anneli Maley". SEABL. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  5. ^ "SPECTRES SCORE EMERGING STAR ANNELI MALEY". MEBA. 15 October 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  6. ^ Nagy, Boti (14 December 2016). "Lightning recruit Anneli Maley heads for a WNBL 'baptism of Fire' as defending champs head to town". adelaidenow.com.au. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  7. ^ Nagy, Boti (6 December 2016). "Adelaide Lightning recruiting coup secures Anneli Maley, daughter of former 36ers import Paul Maley". adelaidenow.com.au. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  8. ^ a b c d "TCU Adds Transfer Anneli Maley". gofrogs.com. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Women's Basketball Signs Australian Guard to NLI". goducks.com. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  10. ^ a b France, Lachy (7 January 2019). "NCAA Women: Goodchild picks up ACC Rookie of the Week". The Pick and Roll. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Anneli Maley". australiabasket.com. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  12. ^ "Anneli Maley Signs with Eagles Elite League team for 2019!". Diamond Valley Basketball Association. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  13. ^ "Gatlin And Wilson Crowned NBL1 MVPs". NBL1.com.au. 18 August 2019. Archived from the original on 14 January 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  14. ^ "The good news keeps coming!". facebook.com/southsideflyers. 28 August 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  15. ^ Flames, Sydney (24 June 2020). "FLAMES HIT THE GROUND RUNNING WITH TWO NEW SIGNINGS FOR 2020-21". Sydney Flames. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  16. ^ "ANNELI MALEY NAMED THE WNBL 2021/22 SUZY BATKOVIC MVP". wnbl.basketball. 1 April 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  17. ^ Bendigo (22 June 2023). "BENDIGO SPIRIT AND ANNELI MALEY ANNOUNCEMENT". wnbl.basketball/bendigo. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  18. ^ "Chicago Sky Signs Maley to Training Camp Roster". wnba.com. 17 February 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  19. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (6 August 2025). "Ex-NBL star Paul Maley and daughter Anneli open up on breast cancer fears before AFL Pink Lady game". The West Australian. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
  20. ^ Lauren (23 June 2023). "LEAGUE MVP ANNELI MALEY SIGNS WITH THE PERTH LYNX FOR SEASON 2023-24". wnbl.basketball/perth. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  21. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (23 June 2023). "Perth Lynx sign WNBL MVP winner Anneli Maley on a two year deal in major boost for licence negotiations". TheWest.com.au. Retrieved 23 June 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  22. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (30 October 2023). "Perth Lynx announce Anneli Maley as captain and Amy Atwell as vice-captain ahead of the start of WNBL season". The West Australian. Retrieved 30 October 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  23. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (3 November 2023). "Perth Lynx captain Anneli Maley drags in 21 rebounds to break club record in WNBL win over Sydney Flames". The West Australian. Retrieved 3 November 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  24. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (18 February 2024). "Perth Lynx stars Anneli Maley and Aari McDonald dominate against Canberra to keep WNBL finals dreams alive". The West Australian. Retrieved 18 February 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  25. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (30 October 2024). "Dribble Podcast: Perth Lynx captain Anneli Maley on the heartache and ecstasy of sport after grand final loss". The West Australian. Retrieved 30 October 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  26. ^ "ANNELI MALEY - A PERTH REDBACK IN 2024". facebook.com/perthredbacks. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  27. ^ "Lakeside vs Perth". NBL1.com.au. 7 June 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  28. ^ "NBL1 West Women | All-NBL1 1st Team". facebook.com/NBLOneWest. 20 July 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  29. ^ Lauren (5 July 2024). "MALEY SIGNS ON AGAIN". wnbl.basketball/perth. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  30. ^ "2 captains, 1 goal". facebook.com/PerthLynx. 31 October 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  31. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (18 January 2025). "Perth Lynx lift in second half after copping spray from coach Ryan Petrik to beat Southside Flyers". The West Australian. Retrieved 19 January 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  32. ^ "Sparks Sign Forwards Emma Cannon, Anneli Maley". sparks.wnba.com. 2 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  33. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (4 February 2025). "Perth Lynx co-captain Anneli Maley signs with Los Angeles Sparks to get second opportunity in WNBA". The West Australian. Retrieved 4 February 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  34. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (2 May 2025). "Finnbar Maley's AFL high with North Melbourne debut offset by Anneli Maley's departure from Los Angeles Sparks". The West Australian. Retrieved 2 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  35. ^ "Maley Back In The Web For 2025". facebook.com/perthredbacks. 12 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  36. ^ "Olympian Anneli Maley re-signs". nbl1.com.au. 13 March 2025. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
  37. ^ "Redbacks vs Wolves". nbl1.com.au. 4 April 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  38. ^ Pike, Chris (4 April 2025). "West Recap | Round 1 Friday". nbl1.com.au. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
  39. ^ "Hawks vs Redbacks". nbl1.com.au. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  40. ^ "NBL1 West's best honoured at MVP Awards Night". nbl1.com.au. 3 August 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  41. ^ "Former WNBL MVP Anneli Maley returns to Perth". WNBL. 16 June 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  42. ^ "Anneli Maley inks new deal with Perth Lynx". Perth Lynx. 16 June 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  43. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (21 June 2025). "Perth Lynx captain Anneli Maley now wants to play her entire WNBL career in Western Australia". The West Australian. Retrieved 23 June 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  44. ^ "Lynx confirm leaders for 2025-26 season". perthlynx.wnbl.com.au. 15 October 2025. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  45. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (23 December 2025). "Perth Lynx coach Ryan Petrik breaks club record for most wins as Anneli Maley goes berserk with rebounds". The West Australian. Retrieved 24 December 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  46. ^ "Lynx star a monster on the boards in win over Canberra". perthlynx.wnbl.com.au. 24 December 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  47. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (1 February 2026). "Perth Lynx lock up second spot on WNBL ladder after thumping win over Bendigo Spirit as Anneli Maley runs wild". The West Australian. Retrieved 1 February 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  48. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (7 February 2026). "Perth Lynx co-captain Anneli Maley registers historic triple-double in massive WNBL win over Sydney Flames". The West Australian. Retrieved 7 February 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  49. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (7 February 2026). "Perth Lynx co-captain Anneli Maley reveals the secrets to success after triple-double against Sydney Flames". The West Australian. Retrieved 7 February 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  50. ^ "Congratulations to Perth's Anneli Maley for being the league's leading rebounder". facebook.com/TheWNBL. 9 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  51. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (9 February 2026). "Perth Lynx star Anneli Maley could win her second WNBL MVP award after epic triple-double to finish season". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 9 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  52. ^ "ANNELI MALEY IS YOUR WNBL26 FANS MVP". facebook.com/TheWNBL. 9 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  53. ^ "WNBL26 AWARD WINNERS RECOGNISED FOR EXCELLENCE ON AND OFF THE COURT". www.wnbl.com.au. 9 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  54. ^ "ALL-WNBL FIRST AND SECOND TEAMS ANNOUNCED". www.wnbl.com.au. 9 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  55. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (9 February 2026). "Bendigo Spirit star Isobel Borlase wins WNBL MVP award as Perth Lynx star Anneli Maley makes WNBL First Team". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 9 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  56. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (17 February 2026). "Perth Lynx beat Bendigo Spirit to qualify for WNBL grand final as Han Xu and Anneli Maley dominate". The West Australian. Retrieved 17 February 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  57. ^ "Xu fires to lead Lynx into WNBL Grand Final". ESPN.com. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  58. ^ "No introduction needed. It's our pleasure to announce that Anneli Maley has re-signed". facebook.com/perthredbacks. 27 February 2026. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  59. ^ a b "Anneli Maley". fiba.basketball. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  60. ^ "Rising Star – Anneli Maley continues her path to the top with guidance from her parents". livonbasketball.com. 23 June 2015. Archived from the original on 13 April 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  61. ^ "Bronze for Aussie Gangurrus". australia.basketball. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  62. ^ Woods, Dan (31 March 2024). "Australia sweeps FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup". NBL.com.au. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  63. ^ "Gangurrus secure Olympic qualification". NBL.com.au. 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  64. ^ "Australian teams for Paris 2024 Olympics announced". Basketball Australia. 6 July 2024. Archived from the original on 11 July 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  65. ^ "Gangurrus locked in for FIBA 3x3 Champions Cup". www.australia.basketball. 11 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  66. ^ "Gangurrus Medallists at Inaugural Champions Cup". www.australia.basketball. 17 March 2025. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
  67. ^ "Gangurrus wrapped in gold at Asia Cup". www.australia.basketball. 31 March 2025. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  68. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (31 March 2025). "Perth Lynx co-captain Anneli Maley's success playing for Australia in 3x3 will help her at Los Angeles Sparks". The West Australian. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  69. ^ "Gangurrus named for FIBA 3x3 World Cup". www.australia.basketball. 16 June 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  70. ^ Pierik, Jon (22 November 2023). "Dumped Hawks defender finds new home as Demons welcome father-son". The Age. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  71. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (1 November 2023). "Dribble Podcast: Perth Lynx captain Anneli Maley discusses how she lives away from fiancé Marena Whittle". The West Australian. Retrieved 2 November 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  72. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (30 July 2024). "Paris Olympic Games 2024: Perth Lynx captain Anneli Maley and fiance Marena Whittle ready for their moment". The West Australian. Retrieved 30 July 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
[edit]
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