The 19-year-old grew up in a family steeped in the game – both her parents played, as did her grandparents – and she picked up a ball herself at age seven.
Now, more than a decade later, Ramsay is stepping into a new chapter: her first season representing Curtin University’s Carnabys, and her first taste of university-level basketball.
“It’s definitely difficult, and some days are busier than others, but it’s nice,” Ramsay says of balancing study and sport.
“It’s a nice break to switch off for a minute, go play basketball, do something I love, and then study as well.”
Despite being relatively new as a group, the Carnabys are already starting to click.
After four or five games together, Ramsay says the Carnabys have started to gel and understand how each other plays.
“We’re a fun team to watch. We play fast, we play hard,” she says.
“People always think West Australian teams are a bit of an underdog, so hopefully we can shock a few people.”
Much of that team culture flows from captain Jasmin Clark, whom Ramsay describes as a leader who doesn’t need to be the loudest voice on court.
“She’s not the loudest person by any means, but she leads by example,” Ramsay says.
“She’s a great person on and off the court, and she’s there whenever you need her.” As a rookie, Ramsay says she’s leaned heavily on senior teammates who’ve been in the program for three or four years, while the coaching staff have given the group freedom to play their own way rather than imposing a rigid system.
Finding her game
On court, Ramsay has settled into a guard role, focused on scoring, hustle and bringing energy. Her game has evolved significantly since her junior days at Willetton, through to the NBL1 pathway.
“I used to think of myself as more of a defender, but then I got more comfortable, more confident – pretty happy shooting the three now,” she says.
One of her career highlights so far came the moment she scored her first NBL1 points.
“When you talk to coaches about dreams and future goals, it’s always ‘play at that level.’ To actually go out there and tick that off – it’s kind of like, oh, we did that.”
That growth hasn’t gone unnoticed by those who’ve known her longest.
Remy Hearn, who has played alongside Ramsay since their under-12 days with the Willetton Tigers, says her work ethic has always set her apart.
“Ash is a great player – she always brings 100 per cent energy and effort into everything she does,” Hearn says.
For Hearn, watching that translate into on-court confidence has been the standout part. “Playing with her growing up, and watching her confidence grow, has been amazing,” she says.
Pushing through setbacks
The road hasn’t been without setbacks. Ramsay counts injury – wrists, ankles, concussions – among her biggest challenges and says basketball has taught her resilience above all else:
“Even when it gets hard, just keep going, push through, do your best.
“At the end of the day, that’s all you can do.”
Home court advantage
With UniSport Nationals now in Perth, Ramsay is looking forward to competing on home soil, in front of family.
She names Australian Opals guard and WNBA player Sami Whitcomb as someone she looks up to for her work ethic.
As for what a home Games means to her and the team, Ramsay is direct.
“We want to be competitive, we want to win as many games as possible. We have the hometown advantage – let’s use it, get the crowd around us, and make it an enjoyable tournament for everyone.”
She’s also excited about the scale of what’s coming, with thousands of students set to descend on the city.
“It’s really cool because you have all the teams getting around each other, supporting each other,” she says.
“There’ll be some rivalries going on too, so it’ll be exciting.”
Her pitch to anyone deciding whether to come watch is just as simple: “We’re fast, we’re fun, we’re upbeat. It’s really engaging – you’ll learn some new celebrations on the bench. Come watch the Curtin Carnabys.”
