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Amber Merritt

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Amber Merritt
in 2023
Personal information
NicknameBambi
Nationality Australia
 England
Born (1993-02-17) 17 February 1993 (age 31)
Portsmouth, England
Sport
CountryAustralia
SportWheelchair basketball
Disability class4.5
EventWomen's team
ClubPerth Wildcats
Medal record
Wheelchair basketball
Paralympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2012 London Women's wheelchair basketball
U25 Women's World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2011 St Catharines Women's wheelchair basketball
Silver medal – second place 2015 Beijing Women's wheelchair basketball
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal – second place 2022 Birmingham 3x3 Competition

Amber Merritt (born 17 February 1993) is a 4.5-point wheelchair basketball player who plays forward. She represented Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, where she won a silver medal and at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo.[1]

Born in England, Merritt moved to Australia when she was ten years old. She was originally a swimmer, but was recruited into basketball by the Paralympic Hall of Fame coach Frank Ponta in 2007. She started playing top-level club wheelchair basketball in Australia for the Perth Western Stars in the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League (WNWBL) in 2008. In 2013, she captained the team, and it to its first WNWBL championship. She was the league's top scorer, and the Most Valuable Player 4 pointer in its All Star Five, in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Merritt made her debut with the Australia women's national wheelchair basketball team, known as the Gliders, in 2009. She has played for the Gliders in a number of international series including the 2010 U23 World Championship, 2011 U25 World Championship, 2011, 2012 and 2013 Osaka Cups, the 2012 BT Paralympic World Cup, and 2012 Gliders and Rollers World Challenge in Sydney.

Personal life

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Wikinews reporters interview Australian Gliders Leanne Del Toso, Sarah Vinci, Amber Merritt and Clare Nott

Nicknamed Bambi, Merritt was born on 17 February 1993 in Portsmouth, England, with a club foot.[2][3] She moved to Perth in Western Australia when she was ten after her parents decided they wanted to see what else the world had to offer, and graduated from high school there in 2010.[3] As of 2013, she lives in Wanneroo, Western Australia.[2][4]

Wheelchair basketball

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Merritt is a 4.5-point wheelchair basketball who plays forward.[2][5] She started playing in 2007.[2] She was originally a swimmer, but was recruited into basketball by the Paralympic Hall of Fame coach Frank Ponta.[6][7]

In financial year 2012/13, the Australian Sports Commission gave Merritt a A$20,000 grant as part of their Direct Athlete Support (DAS) program. She received $17,000 in 2011/12 and 2010/11 and $5,571.42 in 2009/10.[8]

Wearing jersey number 14,[3] Merritt started playing top-level club wheelchair basketball in Australia for the Perth Western Stars in the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League in 2008. In the second round of that season, the Western Stars defeated the Hills Hornets 52–44. Playing for the Stars, she scored 10 points in her team's victory.[3][9][10][11]

Merritt at the 2012 London Paralympics

In the 2012 season during the first game loss, Merritt scored eight points, had five rebounds, and two assists. In the league's third game and her team's second game, a loss to the Dandenong Rangers, she scored 26 points, and had 14 rebounds. In her team's third game victory against the Sydney Uni Flames, she scored 18 points, while having 10 rebounds.[12] In the Western Stars' 56–36 semi-final victory against the Sydney Uni Flames, she played an important role. The Western Stars played in the league's third place match, where she led it in scoring with 34 points as they defeated Sydney 63–54.[13] She finished the season as the WNWBL Season Top Scorer,[13]

Merritt was the Western Stars' captain for the 2013 season, and led the team to its first WNWBL championship, defeating the Sachs Goldcamp Bears in the final 43–40 despite being 11 points down at three-quarter time. She was the league's top scorer, and the Most Valuable Player 4 pointer in its All Star Five,[14] as she had previously been in 2011 and 2012.[15][16]

Merritt made her debut with the Australia women's national wheelchair basketball team, known as the Gliders, in 2009,[2][10] playing in several different competitions that year including the Japan Friendly Series, Four Nations in Canada and the Under 23 World Championship where her team finished fourth.[3] As the youngest member of the Australian team at the 2010 World Championships, she finished fourth.[2][17] She competed in the 2011 Asia Oceania Regional Championships, scoring ten points for her team as the third leading scorer in the final game of a competition where her did not lose a single match.[18][19] That year, she also represented Australia at the 2011 Under 25 World Championships,[2][20] where she wore shirt number 7 and was a key blocker for her team.[21] Merritt played in the 2011 Osaka Cup,[3] and the 2012 BT Paralympic World Cup.[22] She competed at the 2012 Gliders and Rollers World Challenge in Sydney, scoring the winning points in the first place match against the Germany women's national wheelchair basketball team,[23] and was named the women's MVP for the competition,[24] having averaged 17.8 points per game.[25]

Merritt was selected to represent Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in wheelchair basketball.[2] The London Games were her first.[26] In the group stage, the Australia women's national wheelchair basketball team at the 2012 Summer Paralympics posted wins against Brazil,[27] Great Britain,[28] and the Netherlands,[29] but lost to the Canada.[30] This was enough to advance the Gliders to the quarter-finals, where they beat Mexico.[31] The Gliders then defeated the United States by a point to set up a final clash with Germany.[32] The Gliders lost 44–58, and earned a silver medal.[33]

Since the London games, Merritt has participated in the 2013 Osaka Cup,[34] where the Gliders successfully defended the title they had won in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012.[35] She represented Australia at the 2018 Wheelchair Basketball World Championship in Hamburg, where the team came ninth,[36][37] and the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, the Gliders again finished ninth after winning the 9th-10th classification match.[38] She was a member of the Australian team that won the silver medal in the 3x3 Women's tournament at the 2022 Commonwealth Games,[39] and the Gliders team at the 2022 Wheelchair Basketball World Championships in Dubai.[40]

Merritt announced her retirement in November 2023 after 15-year-career.[41]

Statistics

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Season statistics[42]
Competition Season M MIN FGM–A FG% 2PM–A 2P% 3PM–A 3P% FTM–A FT% PFS Pts OFF DEF TOT AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
WNWBL 2009 17 596:48 127–254 50.0 127–250 50.8 0–4 0.0 18–54 33.3 36 272 n/a n/a 10.9 2.0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 16.0
WNWBL 2010 17 n/a 159–282 56.4 n/a n/a 0–5 0.0 15–55 27.3 40 333 n/a n/a 9.8 1.5 n/a n/a n/a n/a 19.6
WNWBL 2011 19 n/a 207–406 51.0 n/a n/a 0–3 0.0 32–84 38.1 49 446 n/a n/a 13.7 2.6 n/a n/a n/a n/a 23.5
WNWBL 2012 15 n/a 169–350 48.3 n/a n/a 0–5 0.0 49–85 57.6 33 387 n/a n/a 9.9 2.9 n/a n/a n/a n/a 25.8
WNWBL 2013 14 518:43 204–367 55.6 204–364 56.0 0–3 0.0 32–76 42.1 25 440 3.1 7.4 10.4 3.6 1.6 0.6 2.3 1.8 31.4
Key
M : Matches played MIN : Minutes played
FGM, FGA, FG%: field goals made, attempted and percentage 3FGM, 3FGA, 3FG%: three-point field goals made, attempted and percentage
FTM, FTA, FT%: free throws made, attempted and percentage OFF, DEF, TOT: rebounds average offensive, defensive, total per game
AST: assists average per game STL: steals average per game
BLK: blocks average per game TO: turnovers average per game
PFS, PF: personal fouls, average per game Pts, PTS: points, average per game
n/a: not applicable

References

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  1. ^ "Gliders' Redemption In Full Swing After Tokyo 2020 Announcement". Paralympics Australia. 16 July 2021. Archived from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Amber Merritt". Australia: Australian Paralympic Committee. 2012. Archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Player statistics for Amber Merritt". SportingPulse. 17 February 1993. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  4. ^ Robinson, Chris (6 July 2012). "Seven WA basketballers picked for Paralympics". Perth Now. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  5. ^ Glen Foreman (8 July 2012). "Ness on path to fourth Paralympics". Fox Sports. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  6. ^ Foreman, Glen (5 September 2012). "Australian women's wheelchair basketball teams beats Mexico". News.com.au. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  7. ^ Mannion, Tim (29 August 2011). "Australia's Greatest Inducted into Paralympic Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on 3 March 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  8. ^ "Grant Funding Report". Bruce, Australian Capital Territory: Australian Sports Commission. Archived from the original on 10 April 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  9. ^ "WNWBL Round 2 – National Wheelchair Basketball League (NWBL)". SportingPulse. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  10. ^ a b "Gliders v Japan". Basketball Victoria. Archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  11. ^ "New-look WNWBL ignites this weekend – Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League". SportingPulse. 30 June 2012. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  12. ^ "Bears still on top after Round 3 – Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League". SportingPulse. 29 June 2012. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  13. ^ a b "2012 WNWBL Champions". Athletes with a Disability. 25 June 2012. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  14. ^ "Be Active Western Stars Crowned WNWBL Champions in Thrilling Style" (PDF). Western Australian Sports Federation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  15. ^ "Victoria Dandenong Rangers Take Home 2011 WNWBL Trophy". Disability Sports Australia. Archived from the original on 12 April 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  16. ^ "Rangers take out WNWBL Championship". Sporting Pulse. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  17. ^ "Team named for Women's Wheelchair Worlds". The Sydney Morning Herald. 16 June 2010. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  18. ^ "Basketball Australia : Rollers and Gliders Asia champs wrap". Basketball.net.au. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  19. ^ "Wheelcats, Stars headline national teams –". The West Australian. 19 October 2011. Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  20. ^ "Aust U25 Women's Wheelchair team depart for Canada – Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League". SportingPulse. 30 June 2012. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  21. ^ "2011 Women's U25 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships – Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League". SportingPulse. 30 June 2012. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  22. ^ "Australia's Amber Merritt – Yahoo! Eurosport". Opta-widget.eurosport.yahoo.net. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  23. ^ Vidler, Adam. "Paralympics: Aussies on a roll towards London". Canterbury-Bankstown Express. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  24. ^ "Perfect Preparation for Rollers and Gliders". Wheelchair Sports Western Australia. 24 July 2012. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  25. ^ "Competition Statistics for Gliders World Challenge". SportingPulse. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  26. ^ "Games wheelchair Basketball Squads Named". Nine MSN. Archived from the original on 14 June 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  27. ^ Abbott, Chris (30 August 2012). "Gliders Prevail in Thriller". Australian Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 3 September 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  28. ^ Abbott, Chris (31 August 2012). "Gliders Win Comfortably Against Host". Australian Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  29. ^ Abbott, Chris (2 September 2012). "Gliders Secure Quarter-final Place". Australian Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 9 September 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  30. ^ "Gliders shocked by Canada". Basketball Australia. 2 September 2012. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  31. ^ Abbott, Chris (4 September 2012). "Gliders Dominate Mexico". Australian Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  32. ^ "Gliders down champions to reach final". Australia: ABC News. 7 September 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  33. ^ Paxinos, Stathi (9 September 2013). "Gliders get rolled for gold by German muscle". The Age. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  34. ^ "2013 Osaka Cup, Japan, Australian Gliders Player Profiles" (PDF). Basketball Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  35. ^ "Aussie Gliders 2013 Osaka Cup Champions". Basketball Australia. 17 February 2013. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  36. ^ "Gliders set for redemption at 2018 IWBF World Championships". International Wheelchair Basketball Federation. 27 June 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  37. ^ "Gliders complete World Championships campaign on a high with victory over Brazil". Paralympics Australia. 27 August 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  38. ^ "Gliders end Tokyo campaign on a high". New South Wales Institute of Sport. 31 August 2021. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  39. ^ "3x3 Wheelchair Basketball". Home of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  40. ^ "Rollers And Gliders Teams Named For World Championships". Paralympics Australia. 26 May 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  41. ^ "Merritt calls time". australia.basketball. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  42. ^ "Player Statistics for Amber Merritt (4.5)". Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
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