Grand final MVP Caitlin Bassett credits a university assignment with keeping her grounded before Sunshine Coast Lighting's Super Netball win over West Coast Fever.
Bassett nailed 45 goals from 50 attempts to be awarded player of the match, although the award could have easily gone to goal defence Karla Pretorius or Fever goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler (53 goals from 55 attempts).
The Lightning's Bassett, who's a former star with the Fever, was criticised for declining interviews in the lead-up to Sunday's 62-59 grand final victory.
But she revealed her reasons after the match.
"I actually had an assignment due on Friday," Bassett said.
"I tried to get my media out of the way at the start of the week and then towards the end when things were coming my way I was like, 'I've got to get this assignment done'.
"I was on deadline to do that, basically. It was about photojournalism and visual journalism.
"I do media all the time. I've got my own radio show on the coast and I'm always doing bits and pieces.
"So to turn down one interview and then get said I was on a self-imposed media ban I thought was hilarious."
Bassett said the assignment was a good distraction.
"I actually went to a cafe where I didn't have wi-fi so I couldn't check any emails and things like that, and just had to write," Bassett said.
"So I got 1000 words done in a day and got it edited by one of our teammates so fingers crossed it's a HD (high distinction)."
Bassett said she had mixed emotions winning the title against her former team in front of a record 13,722 crowd.
The 30-year-old has won two titles since leaving the Fever at the end of 2016.
"You spend your whole life training and sacrificing and living away from your family for this elusive thing around our necks," Bassett said.
"We have worked so hard in the past four weeks and we've never given up hope.
"It's that belief we have in our team and in each other and knowing we can back one another that makes it feel so good."
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