Growing up in a household immersed in elite sport, with her dad Gary playing for the Socceroos, basketballer Rebecca (Bec) Cole's journey into professional sport was almost inevitable. With height, talent, and a naturally competitive spirit, Cole rose through the ranks to represent Australia at both a junior and senior level, including as part of the Australian Opals squad. In 2018, she was part of the Australian 3x3 bronze medal-winning team, and in 2019 was part of the team that went undefeated, winning the gold medal, with Cole being named the MVP of the tournament. However, her journey has seen both highs and lows, including missing out on her ultimate dream of representing Australia at the Olympics. Cole showed great resilience, understanding that not becoming an Olympian did not define her career or her worth as a basketballer.
Domestically, Cole has had an illustrious Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) career to date, with numerous individual and team accolades to her name. In January 2019, she was named in the 2018/19 WNBL All-Star Five for the first time in her career. This was followed by taking out the 2022/23 Southside Flyers Finals MVP, where she became the highest scorer in any WNBL series. As a key player and an inspirational leader, Cole plays basketball with passion, leaving it all on the court in her pursuit of success. This was highlighted in the most recent 2023/24 season, where, as Captain, she led the Southside Flyers to an inspirational second WNBL Championship after losing their first game of the series at home.
Cole is a champion of female sport, including women's basketball, and continuously builds on her platform of skills. Outside of playing, she has numerous media experiences, bringing first-hand and expert knowledge of the domestic W/NBL and American W/NBA competitions. Since the age of seven, Cole has lived and breathed basketball, initially defining herself solely by that measure. Finding her identity beyond basketball has been a challenge, but focusing on other interests has been a game changer, reminding her that there is more to her than just sport.
Following her father's cancer diagnosis, Cole joined forces with Lymphoma Australia, working closely with the organisation as an ambassador to build awareness and advocacy campaigns. She was also the recipient of the Fighting Period Poverty Award at the WNBL Awards for the 2023/24 season.
