Lindsay Stalzer was giving her post-match speech, talking about the Most Valuable Player award which she felt she didn’t deserve, when Katharine Bell butted in.
“You earned it, girl,” Bell said as no one really objected.
“Because what she does for the team is really [special], Bell explained. “Like [Friday] night, I was talking to our teammates and told them: ‘I don’t want Lindsay’s job because she has too much to manage and do for all of us.’”
Bell, replacing Hillary Hurley in the semifinals and exploding for 42 points in Game 1 of the Chooks To Go-Philippine Superliga Grand Prix finals, added: “You’re not like just the MVP of the game, but MVP in life being in the Philippines.”
Stalzer was obviously trying to tone down the effects of her second MVP award, something no other import has ever done in the league.
“Yeah, you have to mention I was the first import to play for five seasons,” added the 33-year-old Illinois native.
The 6-foot-1 Stalzer first played on local shores as a reinforcement for Cignal in 2014, but in the next two years donned the colors of Foton and helped the Tornadoes win two consecutive Grand Prix titles. In 2015, she won her first MVP.
Then she joined the Blaze Spikers in 2017, but lost the title to the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers. Coming back this year, Stalzer was playing with a mission, and she got even with the Cargo Movers after leading the Blaze Spikers to a 2-1 win in the title series.
“I can’t describe it, the support is phenomenal unlike anywhere else I ever played in,” said Stalzer. “That’s what keeps me coming back. The true heart of the Filipino fans and teammates, the people here in general is what keeps me coming back.”
Generous with her praises for Stalzer, Bell also paid tribute to Hurley who sustained an injury going into the crucial stretch of the conference.
“These guys reached this point with Hillary’s help,” said Bell. “I was just too glad to be able to help the team. I was under great pressure to perform well and prove myself.”