Ruby Porter - C3 Collab

Sturt Sabres junior Ruby Porter has packed plenty into her basketball journey. Representing South Australia and Australia throughout a successful junior career, Ruby joined the Adelaide Lightning on an amateur contract while still in Year 11. Her journey later took her to NCAA Division I basketball at the University of Nebraska, where she was one of three Australian junior national representatives on the Huskers roster alongside Isabelle Bourne and Jaz Shelley—an incredible opportunity complicated by COVID. Since returning home, Ruby has played across NBL1 North and West and held WNBL development-player roles with the Bendigo Spirit and Adelaide Lightning. She became an NBL1 West champion and Grand Final MVP with the Cockburn Cougars in 2025, before being named the Willetton Tigers’ 2026 MVP despite an ankle injury ending her season. But there is so much more to Ruby than the résumé and numbers. We chat about her deep South Australian basketball roots, including the influence of her mum, 300-game WNBL player Sandra Porter (née Prettejohn), and her grandfather, Lee Prettejohn. Ruby also shares her love of coaching, giving back and doing the small things—from cheering for teammates to spending time with fans—that build genuine community connections. It was only a short yap, and we couldn’t cover every chapter, but it was special to hear more about Ruby’s family connections and what matters most to her. An easy, insightful and fun chat about family, community, connection and basketball.