The scene was the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and in the Quarter Finals the Australian Women’s Basketball Team (Opals) was leading Russia 73-70.
The Opals had the ball from the centreline with five seconds remaining in the match. They lined up across the centreline knowing they had to get the ball in play. The Russian star point guard Routkouskaiaistood in tightly against the Opals feisty guard Michele Timms in an attempt to stop her from getting the ball and hopefully to steal the pass.The Russian tried to push Timms over but Timms held her ground and they both toppled down to the floor with the Russian landing on top of Timms. A wrestle on the floor ensued. Australia inbounded the ball to Brondello who was fouled. Timms quickly bounced up and pointed to the scoreboard and let the Russian know in no uncertain terms that the Opals were going to win the game. The Opals won 74-70.
The incident was typical of Michele Timms’s competitive nature, aggression, leadership and passion for the Green and Gold uniform.
Michele Margaret Timms was born June 28th 1965 in Melbourne, Victoria.She started playing basketball at her local primary school Belle Vue PrimarySchool. Basketball was one of the main sports played in the back yard by Michele and her six brothers.
Michelle credits her mother and father as being the greatest influence on her life and her basketball. Her early basketball coaches at the elite level at Bulleen were the likes of Ivan Manzie, Trevor Cook, Kingley Gibson and Maris Polis all of whom Michele credits with playing a big part in shaping her game.
The Junior Club Bulleen Templestowe Basketball Club was where Michele grew up on and off the court. Michele recalls, “Growing up in the Bulleen area, all I wanted to do was play for the Boomers (Bulleen) and have the chance to wear one of those special warm up tops that were only worn by Championships players…to this day I remember the try outs and I remember the disappointment at not making a team at bottom age under 12.”
“Not only did I play all my junior basketball at Bulleen.....it was also where I learnt about life. There is no greater community to be part of than a basketball community…...working the canteen, officiating, coaching.......my teen years were spent at the Club,” says Michele.
She adds,“Bulleen gave me so many opportunities as a youngster growing up and as a senior it is that reason that drives me back to where it all began. I feel I am indebted to the Boomer Club and community for the way my career eventuated.”
Michele’s senior basketball career took off when she joined the Nunawading Spectres and teamed up with Coach Tom Maher and Robyn Gull (Maher).
In 1985 she was selected on the Australian Women’s Youth Team which after playing Athletes in Action and in the Calgary International Tournament placed 6th at the Women’s World Youth Championships held in Colorado Springs, USA.
In 1986 Michele was a member of the Nunawading Spectres team that won the Women’ National Basketball League (WNBL) Championships.
In that same year (1986) she played on her first Australian Women’s Team when she was a member of the team that competed at the 1986 World Championships in the USSR. The team finished in 9th position. At 21 years of age her basketball career was taking off.
In 1987 Michele toured Europe for eleven games with the Australian Team and was a member of the team that played seventeen games in Canada and the USA. That same year she was a member of the Australian Universities Team at the World Student Games in Yugoslavia.
For Michele selection for Australia for the 1988 Olympic Gameswas her major personal aim. She played for Australia against Japan and Canada and was selected to the Olympic team for the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. However Australiastill had to qualify for the Games.
After playing in the Seoul Goodwill Tournament and then the Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Malaysia Australia qualified for the Olympic Games in Seoul.
Australia astounded the basketball world by making it through to the Olympic Semi-Finals where they had a one point loss to Yugoslavia for the right to go to the Gold Medal game. On the way to the Semi-Finals Australia defeated the USSRand in doing so gave the USSR their first defeat in Olympic Games history. In the Bronze Medal game against the USSR Australia could not repeat itsprevious victory over the USSR and finished 4th. It was a magnificent effort.
After the 1988 Olympics Michele made history when she became the first Australian player to play First Division women’s basketball in Europe when she went to to play with the Club. While in Germany, she got the chance to play alongside , who would later also play with her in the WNBAwith the Phoenix Mercury.
Michele had an amazing career in the WNBL.Over her fifteen year 285 game career in the WNBL Michele was named an All Star seven times and played on five WNBL Championship winning teams and in seven Grand Finals. She is 7th all time WNBL in points scored (3,953), 5th all time three point shooting percentage at 44%, 2nd all time in assists (1,070), 3rd all time in steals (581) and 7th all time in fouls (818).
In February 2000 Michele was named to the WNBL 25th Anniversary Team.
Michele played for Australia against Japan in 1989, on the team that won the Oceania Championships (as Captain), and led the team on a thirteen game tour of the USA.
In 1990 she captained Australia on an eleven match tour of Europe, in the Goodwill Games in Seattle, in the Seoul Goodwill Tournament and in the 1990 World Championships held in Malaysia. Australia finished a very good 6th in the World Championships.
Michele played for Australia in 1991 in the USSR/China/Korea Series held in Australia and on the twelve match tour to the USA.
In 1992 she played for Australiain the six game series against China in Australia and one game in Italy before playing in the 1992 Olympic Qualification Tournament in Spain. The Australians lost their last two games in that tournament (one in overtime against Brazil) and did not qualify (on percentages) for the Olympic Games in Barcelona.
Michele was a member of the Australian Team that toured to China in 1993.In preparation for the 1994 World Championships to be held in Australia she played with the National Team(now known as the Opals) against Japan, Russia, Bulgaria, and in the Pre-OZ94 Games. The Opals played outstanding basketball in the 1994 Women’s World Basketball Championships but again were denied a medal when they came a highly credible 4th. Michele was named the 1994 Basketball Australia International Player of the Year.
1995 was busy year for Michele as she played for the Opals against China and in the Oceania 1996 Olympic Qualification Tournament before touring to Europe.
In 1996 Michele, who by now was a vital cog in the team, played for the Opals in the World basketball Challenge in Australia against the USA, Cuba and the Ukraine. The Opals played in two warm-up tournaments in Canada and the USA before entering the 1996 Olympic Village in Atlanta.
At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics Michele played heroically and her clashes with the Soviet players in the lead in tournament and at the Olympics themselves made headlines all over Australia as the “pocket rocket” refused to back down to the Soviet players. The attention Michele received from the opposition simply reinforced how vital she was to the Opals at this stage in her career. Michele had two huge games against the USA when she scored 26 points in the preliminaries and 27 points in the semi-final when the Opals were defeated. However the Opals regrouped and defeated the Ukraine to win Australia’s first ever Olympic Medal (Bronze). Finally Michele and the Opals had that elusive Olympic medal.
Michele was named the 1996 Basketball Australia International Women’s Player of the Year.
In 1997 Michele was the first foreign player selected to play in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) when she was selected by the Phoenix Mercury. She played in the with the Mercury in 1998, losing to the . Michele came within inches of giving the Mercury their first WNBA title that year. With the Mercury leading 1-0 in the series and needing only one more win for the WNBA Championship,Game Two was tied at 66 all with three seconds to go. Michele took a three point shot that bounced off the rim to miss. Ultimately, the Comets won that game 74-69 in overtime, and then the WNBA Championship in Game Three.
Michele played for the Opals in 1997 in a Series against Russia that began the build up for coming World Championships. In 1998 Michele played for the Opals against Japan, in the Grand prix of Slovakia, and the Portugal Tournament before playing in the 1998 World Championships in Germany.
The Opals continued their outstanding world ranking performances when they won the Bronze Medal in Germany.
Michele played for the Opals in 1998 against the USA in the Goldmark Cup. In 1999 Michele captained the Opals in the Maher Cup against Brazil, in the US Olympic Cup and the USA Invitational.
By the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Michele at 35 years of age was the veteran of the Opals team. Her task was to get selected as the new band of young guards challenged her for a position on the Opals.
She chose to stay in the USA and prepare for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games by playing the 2000 WNBA season. For Timms Sydney 2000 was going to be her swan song in the Green and Gold and she had high hopes of leading the team to a Gold Medal in her fairy-tail ending.
“Unfortunately eight weeks prior to the Olympics, I came crashing down on my knee in a WNBA game. I flew home from the USA to try and get the knee right for the most important Olympics of my life. The news from my surgeon Dr Young wasn’t good. At best with rehab I would be able to limp into the Olympics and then need further surgery after it. My dreams of the fairytale ending were shattered. I fell into a dark depression and I didn’t want to go to the Olympics if I couldn’t be the player I was. Deep down I wanted the team to take a younger player in my place. However Coach Tom Maher insisted the spot was mine to fill on one leg or not... he said the team needed my leadership and experience. So I went to the 2000 Olympics.....and with the greatest honour of all, the captaincy,” says Michele.
Michele led the Opals in the C7 Series, against the USA in Melbourne and against Brazil in Wollongong prior to the Games.
The Opals played brilliantly and did not lose a game during the Olympic Tournament until being defeated by the USA for the Gold Medal. The Opals had won their first Silver Medal and had done Australia proud.
“Although it was not the fairytale ending I had hoped for, I was Captain of something very special that will always be one of my career highlights,” states Michele.
In 2001, Michele announced her retirement from the WNBA and immediately joined the Phoenix Mercury's broadcasting crew, a job which she held for that season. She was then seconded onto the coaching staff as an assistant of the Mercury. Years later (2005) she became Australian Carrie Graff ‘s assistant when Carrie took over the Mercury Head Coach position.
Michele averaged 4.6 points and 4.0 per game with the Phoenix Mercury; her highest scoring average in one season being 12.1 points per game in 1997. On August 7th2002, her number ‘7’ jersey became the first to be retired by the Phoenix Mercury, and only the 2nd jersey ever retired by the WNBA. Upon her retirement, she was the Mercury's career leader in assists.
Michele was a member of the Opals Team at the 2002 World Championships in China when the Opals won the Bronze Medal.
Michele’s international career with the Opals included over 270 games, three Olympics Games (1Silver and 1 Bronze Medal), and four World Championships (2 Bronze Medals).
Michele Timms was one of the most popular and successful basketball players of her era. Her personality, feistiness, drive, intensity and team passion mixed with flare, ability to score, pass and play aggressive defence made her a favourite with team-mates and fans. She was a pathfinder for Australian Women’s Basketball in Europe and the WNBA and was a significant force and factor in the Opals rise to a world power in basketball.
Opals teammate Sandy Brondello says of Michele, “Michele was one of the best players that I played with. She played with so much passion and competitiveness. She made players around her better with her determination. Her leadership was something special.”
After her retirement from playing, Michele continued her love affair with basketball as a media commentator and coach. She has been an Assistant Coach in the WNBA, WNBL, NBL, with the Chinese Women’s National Basketball Team and with the Opals. She was an Assistant Coach with the Opals at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
She was awarded the Basketball Australia Merit Award in 1991.
In 2004 she was named to the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
Michele was elected to the Basketball Australia Hall of Fame in 2006 and in 2008 to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tennessee. In 2013 Michele Timms became the first female Australian basketball player to be nominated for the international basketball body(FIBA) Basketball Hall of Fame.