January 3, 2026

Emma Clarke joins Bendigo Spirit as Nominated Replacement Player

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Bendigo Spirit is thrilled to announce the addition of Emma Clarke to the squad as a Nominated Replacement Player for the remainder of the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) 2025–26 season.

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Clarke - a versatile guard-forward standing 6’2” - will bring elite shooting, size and experience to the Spirit lineup. Known for her ability to stretch the floor and compete at both ends, the 25-year-old is set to make an immediate impact.

Clarke has already built an impressive resume; after developing through Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence and representing Australia at junior international tournaments, she played NCAA Division I basketball at the University of Colorado before beginning her professional career with the Perth Lynx. She then spent the past three seasons with the Sydney Flames, where she became a key contributor. Clarke has also been a member of various Australian 3×3 squads.

After rehabbing a knee injury during the first part of the 2025-26 seasons, Clarke joins the Spirit as cover for Casey Samuels, who recently underwent foot surgery, and Marianna Tolo, who announced her pregnancy in November and will miss the remainder of the season.  

Clarke said she was looking forward to returning to the WNBL arena.

“I’m really excited to join the Spirit and play under [head coach] Kennedy [Kereama] with such a successful group,” Clarke said. “The team has been so welcoming, and KG [co-captain, Kelsey Griffin] is a great leader. I’m keen to be versatile and play whatever role the team needs – whether that’s knocking down threes, getting rebounds, guarding good players...basically doing whatever it takes to contribute to winning. I haven’t been in a position before where a team is competing for a Championship, so I’m looking forward to embracing that challenge as we head into the back half of the season.”

Spirit General Manager, Dan Jackson, added that it was great to see Clarke already gelling well with the group both on and off the court.

“Emma is a fantastic addition to our group,” Jackson reiterated.  “Her versatility and experience at both WNBL and international level will give us great depth and flexibility as we head into the second half of the season, as we look towards defending our title.”

Clarke will suit up for her first game on January 5, when the defending champions face her former team, the Sydney Flames, at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.