Ilse Waanders returns to Bemmel

The new Women’s Basketball League season starts on 16 September, once again with a familiar face in new coach Mark Hooiveld’s squad. After Bo Teulings, Ilse Waanders is also returning from America. The 20-year-old Waanders made her debut for the Bemmel first team in December 2021 and had for years been a mainstay of Batouwe Basketball’s development squad. In the summer of 2022 she moved to the United States to combine basketball with studying at Cardinal Stritch University.

The guard started playing basketball at WSV Apeldoorn in her home town, but moved early on to the Landstede Hammers development programme. After years in Zwolle she moved to Bemmel to play in the VU20/21 team and for Lekdetec.nl. During her season in America, Waanders averaged 5 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds and 1 steal per game.

On her return to Bemmel: “It feels really good to be back in the Netherlands, and in Bemmel especially. It gives me a good chance to combine basketball with developing my professional career. Things with coach Mark are going really well, and of course I know a lot of my teammates from my earlier time in Bemmel. I’m really excited to get going and keep building the future in Bemmel together with the team.”

“I haven’t personally worked with Ilse before, but she made a really good impression in the training sessions she joined during the off-season. Based also on the experiences of the coaches in our organisation, I’m convinced Ilse is going to help us set the tone and put the right people in the right positions with her qualities,” says Mark Hooiveld, coach at United Basketball.

The new basketball season starts on 16 September with a home game against Startportaal Binnenland from Barendrecht. The match kicks off at 20:00 at Sportcentrum de Kooi.

Welcome back, Ilse!