Rachael Vanderwal

Rachael Vanderwal, born on June 27, 1983, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, is a distinguished former point guard who represented the Great Britain women's national basketball team. Standing at five feet nine inches tall, she made her mark in the sport by participating in the 2012 Summer Olympics and contributing to the England squad that secured a silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. With dual citizenship in Great Britain and Canada, Rachael's journey in basketball began at the age of twelve after transitioning from figure skating.

Her high school career at Bishop Ryan Secondary School in Hamilton culminated in a provincial championship victory in 2001. Rachael then took her talents to Boston University, where she played in the NCAA Division 1 from 2002 to 2006. As a captain during her sophomore, junior, and senior years, she led her team to an America East championship and an NCAA tournament appearance against the national champions, the University of Connecticut. Her senior year accolades included All-Conference first team and All-Defensive team honors, and she remains among the top ten in career minutes played at the university.

Professionally, Rachael played in the Irish Superleague from 2007 to 2014, starting with Donoughmore in County Cork, where she achieved back-to-back National Cup and League Titles, along with Player of the Year honors. In 2009, she joined the University of Limerick, leading the league in scoring and contributing to the UL Huskies' dominance in the league, winning multiple titles during her tenure. Rachael's exceptional performance earned her the Player of the Year award three consecutive years from 2011 to 2013.

From 2014 to 2019, Rachael continued her professional career in Spain's top Liga Femenina, playing for teams such as Gernika Bizkaia, Mann-Filter, and Uni Ferrol. She made her senior debut for Great Britain in 2010 and has since participated in numerous international competitions, including Eurobasket and the London Olympics. Rachael celebrated her fiftieth cap during the London Olympics and reached her one hundredth cap before officially announcing her retirement on October 5, 2022, after earning a total of one hundred eighteen caps. Just two months prior to her retirement, she married fellow GB player Eilidh Simpson and relocated to Australia, where they welcomed a dog named Moose into their family.