It's a Cole World with Southside Flyers' Cayla George

• Cayla George says her basketball career has been 'beyond her wildest dreams'
• How to watch every game of the WNBL 2025-26 season
• Townsville fire Chantel Horvat was last week's guest

Cayla George has seen it all.

As one of Australia's most decorated basketball players, the Southside Melbourne Flyers star continues to demonstrate why she remains an elite talent in the WNBL, despite what others might say.

"I apparently was meant to retire after Tokyo, and I was like, who said that? No one told me I was meant to retire after Tokyo (Olympics). I've had some of my best years since Tokyo," George explained on this week's episode of It's A Cole World.

After dropping their season opener to UC Capitals at John Cain Arena despite significant pre-game hype, the Flyers have responded with consecutive wins, including a statement victory over the highly-rated Townsville Fire.

The team's turnaround coincided with the implementation of a unique training drill called "wrestle ball" - a no-dribble, no-foul-called exercise designed to improve poise under pressure.

"It's no dribble and no fouls are called, and it's first to five. So it can take anywhere between five minutes to 35 minutes to complete this drill," George explains.

"We were pretty ordinary at the start because we were just bear hugging each other, holding onto each other's arms, headbutting each other on accident. It was manic."

The drill has paid dividends as the Flyers have improved their ability to handle the WNBL's increased physicality this season.

Arriving at the Flyers this off-season as one of the veterans of the league, George's approach to leadership reveals why she continues to be such a valued presence on court and in the locker room. Now playing alongside point guard Maddi Rocci at the Flyers, she sees her leadership role as complementary rather than dominant.

"I really pride myself on filling up other people's cups. Because then organically it fills up mine to see their cups full," George says.

"With Ro, if I can fill her cup up, really help her be the best leader possible and really rely on her in big moments to make big calls and be that floor general... I say our team will be settled if she stays settled."

This mentoring extends to younger players like Izzy Bourne, whom George believes has a bright future with the Opals, and 19-year-old Manuela Puoch, whom she describes as "tough as nails."

"She is strong and a great teammate. I can't wait to see what she brings and how she progresses this season," George says of Puoch.

While George acknowledges she's "definitely further towards the back end of my career than the front," she remains focused on the present, still enjoying basketball and contributing at a high level.

"I'd love to win another WNBL championship," she says, noting it would be her fifth. The 2026 World Cup also looms as a potential goal.

Regardless of what happens next, George's perspective on success in basketball has evolved: "Out of the 18 seasons of WNBL, I've won four. So are 14 of them failures? I don't think so. I've become stronger as a human, stronger as a leader, stronger as a player. I've met amazing people."

As she puts it, "This basketball community is such a cool, unique space where you can learn so much about yourself, about others, and meet amazing people. So, it's never really a loss."

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