GREAT FALLS — After half a season of professional basketball in Perth, Australia, former University of Providence standout Parker Esary is back stateside preparing for her next professional opportunity in Sweden.
The five-time All-American just wrapped up her first professional season in Australia for the Perth Redbacks, averaging 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. However, Esary joined the team halfway into the season and with only one practice under her belt was immediately inserted into the starting lineup for her first game. In Esary fashion, she dominated by scoring 25 points and grabbing 15 boards in a win.
“I had one practice and then played our first game and we ended up winning, which was good,” Esary said.
Originally, Esary was going to take the summer to train and prepare for her first official professional basketball season but after an American player left the team halfway through the season with Perth, Esary jumped on the opportunity to compete in the NBL1.
For anyone who’s watched Esary play, there’s never been a shortage of confidence, which is why that despite a whirlwind start and being undersized for a traditional post player, she still was able to succeed amidst the taller and more experienced players in Australia.
“I think just no matter where I'm at, no matter what I'm doing, it's putting the ball in the basket no matter who I'm against, you know,” Esary stated.
Esary will take the confidence to a new team at the end of September. She has signed with Visby BBK in Sweden, where she’ll be alongside a familiar face: the reigning Frontier Conference Player of the Year and first-team All-American from Rocky Mountain College, N’Dea Flye.
“N’Dea actually reached out to me because originally I was going to go back to Perth next season,” Esary explained.
However, with the two having roots back in the greater Portland, Oregon, area as well as basketball knowledge of each other from the Frontier Conference, a quick inquiry from Flye was enough to convince Esary to join forces in Sweden’s premier basketball league.
“I'm really excited,” Esary said. “She's really good at creating space and getting to the rim.”
Esary heads to Visby, Sweden, at the end of September where she’ll have the chance to play her first full season of professional basketball.
