Sarah Stewart (basketball)

Stewart has played in the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League (WNWBL) in Australia since 2002, with the North Sydney Bears from 2002 to 2004, the Hills Hornets from 2005 to 2010, and the Sydney University Flames since 2011. In the National Wheelchair Basketball League (NWBL), a mixed competition, she played for the West Sydney Razorbacks from 2002 to 2011. Since 2011 she has played for the Sydney University Wheelkings.[5]

Stewart won the 2001 and 2002 Encouragement Award in the Women's National Club Championships. In 2002, she was also named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Southern Challenge. She has won numerous awards, including named part of the 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012 WNWBL All-Star Five; the 2009 and 2010 WNWBL MVP in the 3 point class; and the 2002 WNWBL Best New Talent. She was also the WNWBL's highest point scorer in 2010.[5] She was part of the 2004 and 2005 NWBL Championship side with the West Sydney Razorbacks, the 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 WNWBL Championship winning Hills Hornets, and won the 2010 WNWBL Champion with the Sydney Uni Flames.[3][11]

In the second round of the 2008 season, the Western Stars defeated the Hills Hornets 52–44. Playing for the Hornets, Stewart scored 20 points in her team's loss.[12] Also in the second round that year, the team played the Dandenong Rangers, where Stewart scored 24 points in her team's 72–38 victory.[12]

Stewart was first selected to play for the Australia women's national wheelchair basketball team, known as the Gliders, in 2003.[3] Since then she has played over 150 international games for Australia. Her international career highlights include gold medals at the Asia-Oceania 2008 and 2012 Paralympic Qualifiers, the Asia-Oceania 2006 World Cup Qualifiers, and the 2009, 2010 and 2012 Osaka Cup. She was named MVP of the tournament at the 2012 Osaka Cup, and was All-Star Five for the Four-Nation International in Sydney in 2007.[3][5][10][11] She competed at the 2006 and 2010 World Wheelchair Basketball Championship. The Gliders finished fourth both times.[2] She was selected to participate in a national team training camp in 2010.[13]

Stewart at the 2012 London Paralympics

Stewart at the 2012 London Paralympics

Stewart was part of the silver medal-winning team, at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens,[14][15] and the bronze medal winning team at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing.[15][16] She played in the team's semi-final loss to the United States and was one of Australia's key defenders in the game.[17]

Stewart was selected to represent Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London.[18] In the group stage, the Australia women's national wheelchair basketball team at the 2012 Summer Paralympics posted wins against Brazil,[19] Great Britain,[20] and the Netherlands,[21] but lost to the Canada.[22] This was enough to advance the Gliders to the quarter-finals, where they beat Mexico.[23] The Gliders then defeated the United States by a point to set up a final clash with Germany.[24] The Gliders lost 44–58, and earned a silver medal.[25]