Rillie backs Henshall as Wildcats’ spark

Perth Wildcats coach John Rillie is set to stick with the same starting five that defeated New Zealand in Round 2, with young gun Ben Henshall set to come off the bench for the second straight game.

That means Dontae Russe-Nance, who started over Henshall due to a combination of him being unwell and 'wanting to look at different options', will likely start alongside star import Mason Jones.

Prior to Saturday, the Auckland-born Russo-Nance had never played more than six minutes in an NBL game, but chipped in four points, three steals, two rebounds and one steal against the Breakers, while Henshall, who helped the Boomers win the 2025 Asia Cup in Saudi Arabia, put up eight points in 18 minutes on the court.

During Wednesday's media availability, coach Rillie, in his fourth year with the club, said he was confident both Henshall, who started for the majority of NBL25, would adapt to his new role.

“You saw him come in off the bench and he scored eight points really quickly," Rillie said. "Ben was a little ill last week and then also the way we’ve been playing, I just felt like a subtle change to the starting lineup to get guys more in their natural spots on the floor.

"I’m a creature of habit as far as that, especially when you get the result you’re looking for. What I would say is Henshall was part of the guys that finished the game with the great momentum. Professional athletes have to be prepared for whatever role is thrown at you, and make the most of it.”

Rillie went on to say that he believes Henshall's best play is in front of him, after a busy off-season, including going through the NBA Draft process in the US.

“Now he’s back with the Perth Wildcats, he can get some consistency with his life,” Rillie added. "When you look at what happened after our season and before he decided to re-sign with Perth, there was a lot of dynamics going on in his world. Most young people function good when there is a level of consistency.

“He had a lot of good options on the table that he was exploring. His productivity and his play will only get better because his daily habits are consistent now.”

The Wildcats host Illawarra tonight in an open-air game at RAC Arena on Thursday night, tipping off at 9.30pm AEST.

The Round 3 game will be broadcast live on ESPN.