As the daughter of Vince Marino, owner of Adelaide’s WNBL franchise, she knows if she is approached to play by the Lightning, charges of nepotism are sure to follow.

“There’s not much I can do about that,” she said yesterday as she prepared for an exam on Constitutional Law.

Clearly, Angela Marino is nobody’s fool but then neither is her father.

“Dad is a successful businessman,” Angela said. “He only hires the people he is confident can get the job done.

“There’s no sentiment involved. But I know some people will suggest otherwise if I was to play for Lightning.”

Actually, only those with little or no comprehension of Angela’s current place in the sport would be critical.

Unearthed from Sturt’s ranks to play WNBL by no less a judge of talent than former Opals coach Tom Maher, Marino averaged 17.5 points and 3.0 assists in her WNBL debut with the Canberra Capitals.

But in Carrie Graf’s 2006 WNBL champion Capitals, her role was diminished - as was her impact - leading to the 166cm backcourt dynamo playing for Perth Lynx last season.

Having at the Athens Olympics represented New Zealand - where Angela was born during the three years her father was transferred there in his engineering job - she has been approached by Christchurch’s new WNBL franchise.

The club is trying to put together as many potential New Zealand national players as possible to use the WNBL as part-preparation for the Beijing Olympic games.

One of the Tall Ferns’ key players, Marino, 21, is now torn between trying out for Lightning or playing for Christchurch.

After a discussion with Lightning coach Chris Lucas, he set guidelines for where her game needed improvement.

“Chris has been very good,” she said. “He set me a list of areas and what I need to do to improve.”

Marino, who last year was grand final MVP as Sturt beat Forestville for the CABL title, currently leads the league in points and assists with 21.7 and 5.6 respectively. She also is shooting at 45 per cent.

“Angela has been our best player in about 95 per cent of our games,” Sturt coach Marcus Wong said.

“She’d be a pretty good chance for the medal.”

The Halls Medal goes to the fairest and most brilliant player in the CABL.

While she is meeting all the criteria the Lightning have set in their quest to shore up the team’s depth at guard, Marino also knows the Christchurch offer means far greater court-time, exposure and experience leading into Beijing.

Adelaide however is home and the team will be a legitimate championship contender again.

“It’s a tough time,” she said, especially in the middle of her studies and exams on her path toward becoming a corporate lawyer.

And, of course, there will be the inevitable snipers.

“I’ve never really cared what people think,” she said. “I’ve been taught you should be judged on performance and that’s what I’d hope would happen.’

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