Another massive boost for promising Panthers with the return of Jessica Fressle
Good news for Portlaoise Panthers with the return of Jessica Fressle to their ranks
MIDLANDS Park Portlaoise Panthers have received another massive boost just one month into the 2024/25 Women’s Super League season with the return of American, Jessica Fressle to their line-up.
Head coach, Keith Conroy seriously bolstered his squad over the summer with the arrival of players like Lynn Tunnah and Amy Dooley, along with the return of Ciara Byrne, but the departure of Fressle to Dublin Lions was widely regarded as a big loss.
However, the American’s move to the Clondalkin side lasted just five weeks, and when Panthers discovered that the talented power forward was parting ways with the Dubliners, they duly pounced for her signature.
Fressle was delighted at the opportunity to return to the club for whom she played such a huge role in securing promotion to the top ranks of Irish women’s basketball in 2023.
“I’m just really excited to be back with Portlaoise,” she told the
“I have some really good friends on the team. I was keeping up date with how they were doing and they have a really strong team, so I’m excited to be back, and back in the community.
“It’s really been a seamless transition for myself, and even with the new players who have also come in, it seems to have been the same. Ciara is a returning Panther, so she would know most of the girls and Lynn and Amy have fit really well into the line-up,” she said.
While Fressle was a key factor in Portlaoise securing promotion last year, she did have to play mostly at centre – a role she admits is not natural to her.
Yet, with Portlaoise having also secured the services of Ireland international, Amy Dooley, whose powerful presence under the boards has already paid dividends for the team this season, Fressle is looking forward to now hopefully taking up the Number 4 spot.
“I’ve been kind of playing out of position that past two years,” she explained. “I’d be a stretch four naturally, so having that pressure to play the centre spot taken off me, and to have someone to work with as good as Amy is great and I’m just grateful for the opportunity.” Portlaoise boss, Keith Conroy is certainly delighted to see Fressle back in the fold, telling the “This is the one we wanted. We know what Jessica brings and that’s such a big part of this. When she comes into training, everyone knows her, everyone knows her game. The transition on this is so easy for us.
“It’s so comfortable for her here. Everyone knows her around the town and she knows everywhere. Jess had to play the Number 5 an awful lot last year. She didn’t have Amy Dooley or a player like Amy.
“Now this year she’ll be able to play the Number 4 and she’s a more natural 4 and I think that’s going to suit her so much better.
“It will be massive for Amy also. We’ll be able to give her a couple of minutes off as well. It’s tough when you’re playing that position, it’s just so physical in there.” With Portlaoise having already chalked up victories over Brunell and University of Galway Mystics among their opening four games of the Women’s Super League season, there is a very positive vibe around this team, despite their early exit from the Paudie O’Connor National Cup at the hands of Trinity Meteors on Saturday night.
Following a two-week international break, Panthers will return to Super League action on Saturday 16 November with a huge game against the defending champions, Killester in St Mary’s Hall.
This fixture is likely to mark the first game back in Portlaoise for Fressle and she is relishing both this challenge and the season ahead with the team.
“The team has had a good start and I think the league is wide open,” she said. “As long as we stay competitive and build on what they have done already, I think we can be pretty successful.” Conroy echoed those sentiments and believes his side are closing in on a big scalp this season, especially with the return of Fressle.
“We’re so close to these teams and we’re not that far away from that massive win,” he stressed.
“I know we beat Brunell, but obviously there’ll be an asterix beside that because Edel Thornton wasn’t playing, and we understand that, but we still got the win, which is big.
“We’d love to beat one of these teams where no one can say nothing to us, there’s no Asterix beside it, and I know it’s coming. We’re so close and, hopefully, bringing Jess in will give us that little bit that we’re missing.
“She brings that physicality, she brings that leadership and that’s a massive attribute to have. Hopefully this will bring us to a level where we’re right there at the top.”
