Unique Thompson backed herself for a WNBL opportunity by not signing to return to Russia and the Albury-Wodonga Bandits NBL1 East championship winner and current North MVP fancy has been rewarded by joining the Sydney Flames.

Ever since the impressive 6'3 forward who is a scoring and rebounding machine came out of Auburn University where she left as the school's all-time leading rebounder, she has split her time between Russia and Australia.

Previously, each time she left her Russian club she was already locked in to return the following season before she first came down under as part of the title winning Bandits team in 2022 with her named NBL1 East grand final MVP.

She always wanted a WNBL spot so as she joined the Mackay Meteorettes for this NBL1 North season, she had not locked in a Russian return and now is rewarded with the chance to join the Flames in Sydney.

"When I first got to Albury for my first year and I performed really well, there were conversations about it, but I had already signed to Russia," Thompson said.

"They had me sign before I left I guess because they knew that another opportunity might present itself but the WNBL was something I told myself to keep in mind.

"Now this year I didn’t sign to come back to Russia and was going to wait to see if that opportunity actually does come, and now it has and I'm excited about it. It is something that has been on the drawing board for me for a while now."

Moving to Sydney, playing for Flames

Sydney is a city that Thompson is somewhat familiar with too getting to play plenty of road games there during her 2022 and 2024 seasons with the Bandits.

And as for the team she's joining, she couldn’t be happier with what coach Guy Molloy is trying to build for this WNBL season and to get to play alongside the likes of Lauren Nicholson and Mikhaela Cann instead of against them.

"Playing in the East, I was there playing a lot so I do know Sydney a little bit. I do know it's a big city obviously and it's going to be somewhere that will be exciting for my parents to come to explore as well," Thompson said.

"As for the Flames in general, it's been good chatting with Guy just to see where his mind is at just about winning and what he expects from me in the team.

"So to be able to come in and know that he's trying to move the team up in the ranks of the league as well, and playing with experienced players, is something I can't wait for."

Memorable championship season with LJ

After starting her professional career in Russia with WBC Sparta&K, Thompson's first venture to Australia was to play alongside Lauren Jackson at the Bandits back in 2022 where she ended up delivering 29.4 points and 14.7 rebounds across 15 appearances.

The team won the championship and she was MVP of the grand final, and it's a season she'll treasure for the rest of her life.

"Just the fact that we won a championship was special, but it's more so just the memories that we created and the fact that I was able to form a relationship with Lauren," Thompson said.

"That's something that I will always cherish and even when I talk to her now, I'm like, 'What the hell, it's Lauren Jackson'.

"Just knowing we played together and being able to look back on those pictures will always be special and winning is something you always remember fondly."

Juggling playing in Russia and NBL1

Ever since Thompson finished in college at Auburn, she has been playing virtually all year-round with those seasons in Russia starting with Sparta&K. She's played at Nadezhda Orenburg the past three seasons and it's worked well to then play NBL1 between.

It's meant that she's had precious little time away from training, working out and playing since graduating in 2021, but she's also enjoyed life as a professional so far.

"Especially considering the Russia season is so long and then being able to come to play here, the dynamic is different and I'm able to stay basketball and stay in shape, but also get a sense of a different lifestyle while I'm in Australia," she said.

"Being able to find that good balance between Russia and here has been good, but I'm hoping now that I will just get to Australia now and suit up between the NBL1 and WNBL seasons."

Wanting a chance to play WNBL

From that first season that Thompson came to play in the NBL1 with Albury-Wodonga, she did have her eye on wanting to play WNBL, but it was just never really an option because each time previously she'd been locked in to return to Russia.

However, at the end of her 2024/25 season at Nadezhda she didn’t commit to return for a fourth season to the Vidnoye-based club, and when she reflects, spending four years in Russia was four more than she ever imagined.

"I can remember in high school learning history about Russia and telling myself that was somewhere I'd never go to," Thompson said.

"And then all of a sudden when I finished college I had my agent calling me to tell me Russia was the first country I was going to.

"I was just like 'Jokes on me' and it is a very different country. But from being at Albury, I just experienced nothing but pretty cold winters so coming to Mackay this year has been much better because it doesn’t really feel like a winter.

"So now that I get to stay here to experience an Australian summer is something I'm really looking forward to."

Life and basketball in Mackay

While Thompson is excited about what is to come in Sydney with the Flames, her immediate focus is on a strong finish to her first NBL1 North season with Mackay.

The Meteorettes have just one game left over the last two rounds of the regular season which means she's currently in the middle of a 15-day break in between games following a loss to Logan Thunder and then facing the defending champion Rockhampton Cyclones.

But just in terms of the lifestyle she's found in Queensland where winter doesn’t feel like winter, and then on a basketball front with Mackay, Thompson couldn't be happier.

"I absolutely love it here in Mackay. Just being able to wake up and go to the beach whenever I want to is definitely great and especially considering this is supposed be winter, but it sure doesn't feel like it," Thompson said.

"There has been a lot for the girls on our to adapt to throughout the season but I have been enjoying.

"We have a young team so just being able to talk to them and try to guide them has been good, and now I'm looking forward to this last game and hopefully making a playoff run."

Eyeing NBL1 North championship

Thompson is having a standout NBL1 North season too with 24.1 points and 15.7 rebounds a game while shooting at 52 per cent from the field and 85 per cent at the foul line to put her right in MVP calculations.

What she is more worried about is the Meteorettes' championship aspirations. Currently they sit in third position with just one game to play with the top two of Logan and Southern Districts locked in sitting with 11-1 records.

"I am confident about our chances," Thompson said.

"I think we've had a few games this year that we've lost which will prepare us for playoffs because we know what to expect, and have kinda got the hard games out of the way.

"So when it comes in finals it won't be a surprise for us and I think we can go well."

Chris Pike

'Unique opportunity': Thompson signs with Flames | Basketball.com.au