Bond and Williams return to Dolphins

Cairns Basketball Inc. announces that Teyahna Bond and Leichan “LJ” Williams will return to the Kenfrost Homes Cairns Dolphins for the upcoming 2022 NBL1 season, under Head Coach Myra Donkin. 

Bond was recently selected for the 2022 Queensland North U18 Girls State team, after representing them at both U16 and U18 National Championships. She has represented Cairns at State Champions every year throughout juniors (U12, U14, U16, U18) and is currently a member of Basketball Australia’s National Performance Program.
 
Supported by The Industry Estate Agents, Bond will make her official debut with the Dolphins this season after training with the team for two years.
 
Williams only started playing basketball in 2016 as a 15-year-old and played for the Dolphins in 2017 and 2018 before going to junior college in the United States.
 
Williams attended the Salt Lake Community College Bruins for two years and returned to the Dolphins for a third season. In 2021, she averaged 12 points per game.
 
Ahead of the CQUniversity Cairns Taipans’ Indigenous Round games, assistant coach Kerry Williams and center Nate Jawai were thrilled to acknowledge the achievements of the two young Indigenous female athletes.
 
Coach Williams is also the State Performance Officer for Basketball Queensland in Cairns and said that it has been a privilege to watch them grow over the years.  
 
“Teyahna is very young but already super talented and is quickly making a name for herself. She’s a great shooter, a quick defender and just fun to watch,” he said.
 
“LJ’s a dominant player - very tough and competitive. She’s a late bloomer to the game but she could be a standout NBL1 center. After her two years in college, she has continued to get better.”
 
Similarly, Jawai said that he hopes that Bond and Williams carve out successful careers in sport.
 
“Both girls have a love for basketball and have shown natural talents with promising futures. They are signing up for a tough Dolphins squad and I hope they show other young Indigenous athletes where hard work can take them.”
 
Bond and Williams join Cayla George, Penina Davidson, Amy Lewis and Taylor Jones on the roster. The Kenfrost Homes Cairns Dolphins season starts in Cairns on Saturday 30 April 2022.