Tayla Brazel returns to Adelaide
Young gun Tayla Brazel will make her long-awaited return to the WNBL after re-signing with the Adelaide Lightning for the 2025/26 season.
A South Australian product, Brazel quickly caught the eye of scouts due to her defensive prowess and lightning-quick footwork, notably displayed when she represented Australia in the FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup in 2023.
Brazel’s spectacular career trajectory was significantly hampered by back-to-back ACL injuries, suffering a left tear in 2022 and then a right ACL injury in 2024. She has recently made her comeback through her junior club, the Sturt Sabres. Playing for her junior club in NBL1, she has achieved outstanding results in the Central conference, leading her team to the Grand Final and winning the 2023 Best Defensive Player award.
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The 21-year-old has 27 games total for the Lightning, being elevated from a development player in 2021/22 to a full roster spot during the 2023/24 season.
In her last season with the Lightning, she averaged 23.5 minutes and scored 5.7 points per game as a key piece in Adelaide’s race to the finals.
Head Coach Kerryn Mitchell said she is happy to see Tayla get back out on the court after being sidelined for the last 12 months.
“Tayla is a high-IQ guard with the ability to swing through the one, two, and three,” Mitchell said.”
She is a multi-faceted scorer, with the ability to score at the rim and in the mid-range game; as well as being a knockdown shooter from three.
“Brazel is the sort of versatile defender who can lock down scorers in multiple positions. I’ve respected her as an opposition coach over many years and am excited to get to work with her at the Lightning.”
Stay up-to-date with all the latest signings via the WNBL Roster Tracker here.