Joanne Ward

Having commenced playing basketball in Mackay as a seven-year-old, Joanne Powell represented Mackay in all North Queensland junior basketball competitions from the age of 13 years until she was aged 17 years.

Joanne represented North Queensland under 16 and under 18 girls at Queensland junior state championships every year between 1972 and 1976 and exceptional performances at these junior state championships resulted in her being selected in every Queensland under 16 and under 18 team for which she was age qualified.

Joanne (Powell) Langley represented North Queensland and Metropolitan Zones at Queensland senior state championships from 1976, while she was still a junior, until the championships were discontinued and was named as a guard in the inaugural Queensland Basketball All-Star first five teams in 1977 and 1978.

In 1977, following her exceptional performances at Queensland senior state championships, Joanne was selected as captain of the Queensland under 20 women’s team to tour country New South Wales, receiving the team award as the Most Valuable Player at the end of the tour.

Joanne represented Queensland at six senior women’s Australian championships: 1977, 1978 1980, 1981, 1982 and winning the silver medal at the final championship in Adelaide in 1983.

Joanne was also part of the first overseas playing tour undertaken by a senior women’s Queensland representative team to the western provinces of Canada and Hawaii in December 1978 and January 1979.

As a member of the Australian Opals squad in 1982 and 1983 Joanne played against the Chinese women’s team in 1982 on the Melbourne leg of their tour.

The Brisbane Lady Bullets entered the Women’s National Basketball League in the league’s second year and Joanne Langley played for the Lady Bullets in the team’s inaugural season and in the following three seasons.

Joanne’s field goal percentage average of 50.5% and her free throw percentage of 81.3% are exceptional. It should be noted that statistics from the early years of the WNBL did not include steals and assists, identified as two of Joanne’s greatest strengths.

Seven senior Queensland representations, her representation as an Opal and her participation in the Brisbane Lady Bullets’ pioneering four seasons in the WNBL, identify Joanne (Powell) Langley as a most worthy inductee to the Queensland Basketball Hall of Fame.