The Wombat women brought home bronze in another strong showing at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
For Wombat Hannah Dodd, the experience of competing at the Commonwealth Games was about much more than basketball.
“The Commonwealth Games is such a cool experience as it’s one of the few places where able-bodied and para sports mix,” Dodd said.
“Glasgow had such a great atmosphere, and everyone really got behind the games. It’s also my mum’s hometown, so I was super lucky to have a big cheer squad.”
Drawn in Pool A alongside England, South Africa and Canada, the Wombats faced a tough path from the outset. Their campaign opened with a 16–6 loss to England, but Georgia Munro-Cook battled hard with four points and five rebounds.
The Wombats responded strongly against South Africa, keeping their play-in hopes alive with a dominant 20–5 win. Ebony Stevenson added five points, while Munro-Cook delivered a standout performance with 10 points and 12 rebounds to set up a crucial clash with Canada.
Their final group game went down to the wire, with Canada forcing overtime before Munro-Cook stepped up with a mid-range buzzer-beater to seal a 12–10 victory. The result secured second place in the pool and sent the Wombats through to the play-ins.
Dodd said the team remained composed despite Canada’s late comeback and trusted the game plan to get them over the line.
“We knew going in they were going to be tough being the reigning champs and then them having that late run to tie the game,” Dodd said.
“Being able to settle and stick to our game plan and get the win was really satisfying.”
From there, the Wombats powered into the semi-finals with a commanding 19–2 victory over Nigeria. Dodd was the most efficient shooter on the floor, hitting the game’s only two-pointer and shooting at 80 per cent.
On the final day, the Wombats faced hosts Scotland in the semi-final, where an agonising three-point loss ended their hopes of playing for gold. That result set up a bronze-medal rematch with Canada, and another close contest followed. Munro-Cook again led the way with 12 points and three defensive rebounds, helping the Wombats edge Canada by two points to secure bronze, their second consecutive Commonwealth Games medal.
After securing bronze, Dodd reflected on what made the tournament so memorable.
“I think meeting some my mum’s family for the first time was pretty special. Getting to catch up with friends and meeting new nations is also great fun.
“We went in with the goal of bringing home a medal and we were pretty disappointed with our semi-final, so to bounce back and fight for the bronze was amazing.”
With little time to celebrate, attention now turns to the Gliders’ World Championship campaign. Dodd said she is excited to reunite with the full squad as preparations enter their final stages.
“I’m really looking forward to being back on court with the full worlds squad in a couple of weeks in Melbourne,” Dodd said.
“It’s time to put the finishing touches on what we’ve been doing the last few months.”
