Isobel Borlase

Early life and career

Isobel Borlase came into the world in Sandringham, a Melbourne suburb, but grew up in Adelaide. Her schooling took place at Loreto College and Mercedes College.

On the basketball court, she played junior ball for the Forestville Eagles and captained South Australia Metro to a title at the 2021 Australian Under-18 Championships. She also took part in netball and surf lifesaving. In 2021, she entered the BA Centre of Excellence, appearing in four Waratah League games, and studied at Lake Ginninderra College in Canberra.

Professional career

Isobel Borlase made her WNBL debut with the Adelaide Lightning in January 2022, playing just one game that season. During the 2022 NBL1 season, she put up 13.57 points, 5.29 rebounds, 2.64 assists, and 2.0 steals per game over 14 appearances for the Centre of Excellence. She came back to Adelaide for the 2022–23 campaign, dropping 25 points and nine boards in the season opener. That year, she averaged 13.5 points per game and earned both the WNBL Sixth Woman of the Year and Breakout Player of the Year awards.

A back injury slowed her down in the 2023 off-season. In the 2023–24 season, she notched a career-high 31 points on January 7, 2024, against the Perth Lynx. Her season averages of 15.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists earned her a spot on the All-WNBL First Team. On April 15, 2024, the Atlanta Dream picked her 20th overall in the WNBA draft.

She chose to stay in Adelaide for another year, suiting up for the Forestville Eagles in the NBL1 Central. In six games there, she averaged 15.33 points, 5.33 rebounds, 3.17 assists, and 2.33 steals. Returning to the Lightning for the 2024–25 WNBL season, she averaged 14.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. She then joined the Melbourne Tigers of the NBL1 South for the 2025 season.

National team career

Borlase debuted for Australia at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Hungary, helping the Gems win the silver medal. In 2022, she helped the Gems win gold at the FIBA Under-18 Asian Championship in India and was named to the All-Star Five.

She played for the Gems at the 2023 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Spain. In July 2024, she was named to the Australian Opals' final squad for the Paris Olympics, where the team won the bronze medal. She was later selected for the Opals' squads for the 2025 FIBA Women's Asia Cup and the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup.

Did You Know?

• Borlase scored a career-high 42 points on 21 January 2026, becoming the first WNBL player to reach that mark since Penny Taylor in 2002.
• Borlase was the youngest WNBL MVP winner since Liz Cambage in 2011, winning the award at age 21.