Outstanding season for Matrix women

Fook-Yee Yap

To be honest, its been hard trying to be fair to the women in the Malaysia Pro League (MPL). Men's basketball has been the main focus for the last couple of days, especially in the way Farmco Touch Up fought their way back to defeat NS Matrix in Game 2 of the Finals. So much so that the shine has been taken away from the Matrix women's own success at finally clinching the league title. The 56-48 score was such a big win for Matrix as they were trailed for large parts of the game against a feisty Hatchers Valkyries. In fact the game had also looked like a possible Game 3 at one point before Matrix produced a huge fourth quarter showing to cross the finish line. Key performers were obviously the ever present Fook Yee Yap (174-F-93) who once again led the scoring for Matrix. Then there's the indomitable Hui Pin Pang (176-F-90), better known as Mulan. Like her character namesake, Mulan led the team by putting her body on the line, grabbing the boards and scoring the big points. Truly deserving of the Finals MVP award and its a shame she's decided to retire from international competitions. Those two aside, Matrix, featuring the core of the national team, also had some big game showings from Magdelene Low and Wei Yin Saw (166-PG-92). The bubbly Magdelene in particular had such a big impact late in the game. Going 0-for-8 in the first three periods, she stepped up with two big shots when the team needed her contributions the most. Talk about a true clutch player indeed.
In short, here's the summary on Matrix's absolutely stunning run to the cup:
They finished the season undefeated. 14 and 0 run.
It is their first league title
Hui Pin Pang claims the Finals MVP award
Fook Yee Yap earlier named season local MVP
Their experience really showed
With that said, the Valkyries also deserved a lot of credit for taking the fight to Matrix. Chong Yin Yin, back after sitting out for a year due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, was an ever-present figure for the Valkyries in the playoffs and the finals. Their good mix of veterans, led by Poh Yee Ooi (175-F-93) and a younger crop of players, have blended well. Their imports - Liu Hsi-yeh and Wen-Yu Lin (180-C-95) also fitted right in and have shown great leadership and set good role model examples for the young players. The Valkyries may have lost this season, but they have been one of the most pro-active teams out there and they are a shinning example of how a team should be run.
Courtesy of: dllsports.com