
Jesse Wagstaff

Jesse Kendall James Wagstaff (born 30 April 1986) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL). The 203 cm power forward from Canberra played four years of college basketball for the Metropolitan State University of Denver before returning to the Australia and carving out a very successful NBL career with the Perth Wildcats, winning multiple awards along the way, including six NBL championships.
Early life.
Born and raised in Canberra, Wagstaff attended Radford College and played in the Waratah League as a youth for the ACT Academy of Sport and the Canberra Nationals.
College career.
In 2005, Wagstaff moved to the United States to attend the Metropolitan State University of Denver. In his freshman season, he appeared in 31 games (seven starts) and averaged 5.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
As a sophomore in 2006–07, his role and minutes were both increased, playing 32 games (31 starts) and averaging 27.1 minutes per game. His production subsequently improved as he averaged 11.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He subsequently earned All-RMAC East Division first team honours, and was named the 2007 RMAC Tournament MVP.
As a junior in 2007–08, Wagstaff continued his strong play and production. In 31 games (all starts), he averaged 14.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
As a senior in 2008–09, Wagstaff earned RMAC East Division Player of the Year honours. In 31 games (30 starts), he averaged 17.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
Professional career.
Perth Wildcats (2009–present).
2009–10 season: Rookie of the Year.
After graduating from MSU Denver, Wagstaff returned to Australia and joined the SEABL's Canberra Gunners for a one-game stint, recording 28 points and 14 rebounds in a win over the NW Tasmania Thunder on 13 June 2009. Later that month, he signed a two-year deal with the Perth Wildcats. In his rookie season with the Wildcats, Wagstaff was a serviceable role player as he averaged 9.0 points and 3.6 rebounds in 33 games, backing up Shawn Redhage in what was a championship-winning season for the Wildcats. He was subsequently named the recipient of the 2009–10 NBL Rookie of the Year Award.
Following his first hit out in the NBL, Wagstaff joined the Perth Redbacks for the 2010 SBL season. In 26 games for the Redbacks, he averaged 21.1 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.
2010–11 season: Injury-riddled season.
Wagstaff's second season in the NBL was interrupted by an ankle injury suffered in December 2010. The injury forced him out for seven weeks, as he returned to action on 11 February 2011 and played out the season. The Wildcats failed to defend their title in 2010–11 as season-ending injuries to Redhage and Matthew Knight caused disruption to the team's chemistry, while the team's injury replacements failed to fill the void left by Redhage and Knight. The Wildcats finished fourth on the ladder and were knocked out in the semi-finals by the New Zealand Breakers. In 22 games on the season, Wagstaff averaged 8.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
2011–12 season: Best Sixth Man.
In May 2011, Wagstaff re-signed with the Wildcats on a three-year deal. The following month, he re-joined the Perth Redbacks for the rest of the 2011 SBL season, going on to average 22.4 points and 10.8 rebounds in eight games.
Wagstaff's ability to battle the big men down low, display strong post moves, defend well inside and also have a good game on the perimeter offensively and defensively made him an important asset for the Wildcats in 2011–12. His 38.7% three-point shooting was key in his career-high 11.4 points per game, a solid bench production that helped lead the Wildcats back to the Grand Final series, where they again met their match with the New Zealand Breakers, losing the series 2–1. Wagstaff was subsequently named the 2011–12 Best Sixth Man.
2012–13 season.
Wagstaff continued to be a solid back-up power forward for the Wildcats in 2012–13, rotating with Shawn Redhage while also playing center on numerous occasions. The Wildcats made it back to the Grand Final in 2013, but were again outclassed by the New Zealand Breakers, losing the series 2–0. In 31 games on the season, Wagstaff averaged 10.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.
2013–14 season: Second Championship.
In 2013–14, the Wildcats were the team to beat as they dominated the competition with imports Jermaine Beal and James Ennis. They made it back to the Grand Final for a third year in a row, this time defeating the Adelaide 36ers 2–1 to reclaim the NBL championship, marking a league-best sixth championship, while Wagstaff picked up his second championship with the Wildcats. In 33 games on the season, he averaged 10.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, while shooting a career-best 42.7% from three-point range.
2014–15 season.
On 8 May 2014, Wagstaff re-signed with the Wildcats on a two-year deal (with the option of a third). On 24 October 2014, Wagstaff was involved in an ugly on-court incident with Sydney Kings forward Josh Childress. With the Wildcats holding a hefty lead late in the third term of their 84–63 win, Childress hit the floor after running into an off-ball screen from Wagstaff under the Wildcats basket. After getting to his feet, Childress responded by running into Wagstaff with a raised forearm just as Wagstaff got off a shot. The vision of the incident was seen around the world, as Childress was handed a one-game suspension and a fine for unduly rough play and bringing the game into disrepute. The 2014–15 season turned out to be a near carbon copy of the 2010–11 season for the Wildcats as they finished fourth on the ladder and were knocked out in the semi-finals, failing to defend their 2013–14 title in a season that was plagued with injuries. Wagstaff's points production dropped to a near career-low in 2014–15 as he averaged just 8.5 per game; he still managed to average a career-high 4.0 rebounds per game.
2015–16 season: Third Championship.
On 13 December 2015, Wagstaff played his 200th game for the Wildcats, becoming just the sixth player to play his first 200 NBL games with the Wildcats. After averaging a serviceable 8.3 points per game off the bench for the Wildcats over the team's first 16 games of the season, Wagstaff caught fire in his 200th game in Sydney against the Kings, hitting all six of his three-pointers in the final quarter to finish with a career-high 26 points and leading the Wildcats to an impressive 87–69 win. His next best performance came in the third last game of the season on 5 February 2016, also against the Sydney Kings, this time at home. In 27 minutes off the bench, he recorded 23 points, a season-high tying 9 rebounds, and 4 assists in a 95–81 win, helping the Wildcats book themselves a place in the playoffs for a 30th straight season. The Wildcats finished the regular season in second place with an 18–10 win/loss record, and played the third-seeded Illawarra Hawks in the semi-finals. Wagstaff was a key figure off the bench during the series, a series the Wildcats won 2–1, moving them on to the Grand Final where they faced the New Zealand Breakers. With home court advantage in the series, the Wildcats defeated the Breakers 2–1 to claim their seventh NBL championship. He appeared in all 34 games for the Wildcats in 2015–16, averaging 9.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
2016–17 season: Fourth Championship.
On 19 April 2016, Wagstaff signed a two-year contract extension with the Wildcats, keeping him at the club until at least the end of the 2018–19 season. He started the 2016–17 season in a career-worst shooting funk, going 2-of-17 from the three-point line over the Wildcats' first two games. He stepped up his play in the third game of the season on 14 October, going 6-of-10 from the field for 16 points in a 75–73 win over the New Zealand Breakers. Wagstaff continued to struggle with his shot as the season progressed but did manage double-digit scoring efforts in five of the first 11 games. The Wildcats started the season 4–1, but soon dropped to last place on the ladder with a 7–9 record—in five December games leading up to Christmas, the Wildcats collected just one win. In that five-game span, Wagstaff failed to reach double-digits while averaging just 5.6 points per game. On 31 December, in the team's first game since Christmas, Wagstaff led the Wildcats with a season-high 20 points in 21 minutes off the bench in a 95–87 win over the Illawarra Hawks (who were second on the ladder with a 10–8 record). He shot 5-of-10 from the field and went 9-of-11 from the free throw line. The Wildcats finished the regular season in third place with a 15–13 win/loss record, and played the second-seeded Cairns Taipans in the semi-finals. After taking Game 1 in Cairns, Wagstaff came up huge for the Wildcats in Game 2 in Perth with an equal season-high 20 points including 5-of-11 from three-point range. The series sweep advanced the Wildcats into the NBL Grand Final for the sixth time in eight years. He went on to help lead the Wildcats to a 3–0 grand final series sweep of the Illawarra Hawks, as he claimed his fourth NBL championship. The Wildcats not only collected their eight NBL title but went back-to-back for the first time since 1990/1991. In the 95–86 title-clinching Game 3 win, Wagstaff came off the bench in his 250th game and scored 10 points. Wagstaff became the eighth Wildcat to play 250 games for the club, and the sixth to play his first 250 games for Perth. In addition, he and long-time teammate Shawn Redhage both played their 17th Grand Final game in Game 3, surpassing Ricky Grace's club record of 16. He appeared in all 33 games for the Wildcats in 2016–17, averaging 9.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.
2017–18 season.
The Wildcats entered Round 8 of the 2017–18 season with a 7–3 record. They faced the ladder-leading New Zealand Breakers in Auckland on 1 December and attempted to win in New Zealand for the first time since 2013, while going for their first win over the Breakers following two defeats against them in November. Wagstaff's exceptional final-term shooting display helped the Wildcats end the hoodoo with an 89–73 victory. He hit four three-pointers in a purple patch midway through the fourth period to finish with 19 points in 23 minutes off the bench. The Wildcats improved to 10–3 before dropping to 13–9 by mid-January. On 2 February, Wagstaff scored an equal game-high 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting and 3-of-6 from 3-point range in a 111–90 win over the Adelaide 36ers, moving the Wildcats to 15–9. In the Wildcats' regular-season finale on 18 February, Wagstaff scored 16 points in an 89–61 win over the Cairns Taipans. The Wildcats finished the regular season in third place with a 16–12 record before losing in straight sets to the 36ers in the semi-finals. In 29 games, he averaged 9.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
2018–19 season: Fifth Championship.
Wagstaff helped the Wildcats start the season with a 10–1 record, before losing seven of their next nine games. In January 2019, he played his 300th game for the Wildcats. The Wildcats finished the regular season as minor premiers with an 18–10 record. In March 2019, he won his fifth NBL championship after the Wildcats defeated Melbourne United 3–1 in the NBL Grand Final series. In 34 games, he averaged 5.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.
2019–20 season: Sixth Championship.
On 5 April 2019, Wagstaff re-signed with the Wildcats on a two-year deal. In February 2020, he passed Mike Ellis (370) for fourth place on the Wildcats' all-time 3-pointers list. In March 2020, he was crowned an NBL champion for the sixth time.
2020–21 season.
With the retirement of long-time captain and teammate Damian Martin, Wagstaff was named captain of the Wildcats for the 2020–21 NBL season. In February 2021, he became just the fourth Wildcat to reach 350 NBL games. The following month, he passed Peter Crawford (391) for third place on the Wildcats' all-time 3-pointers list and later reached 400 career 3-pointers. On 1 May 2021, against the New Zealand Breakers, he played his 372nd game for the Wildcats, passing James Crawford (371) to move into third spot on the team's all-time games played list, placing him behind only Ricky Grace (482) and Shawn Redhage (380).
National team career.
Wagstaff has been a consistent member of the Australian national team, the Boomers, since 2010. He was first called up to the national side in June 2010 to replace the injured Aron Baynes for the Boomers' three-game series with Argentina at Challenge Stadium. The following year, he played for the Boomers during the two-match YouYi Games international basketball series against China. In 2013, Wagstaff played for the Boomers during the Sino-Australia Challenge against China.
Wagstaff's next international duties came in April 2016 when he was named in the 11-man NBL All-Australian Team selected to tour China in May 2016. In June 2017, Wagstaff was named in a 20-man Boomers squad ahead of the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup.
Personal.
Wagstaff is the son of Derric and Barbara, and has a sister named Naomi. Wagstaff and his long-time girlfriend, Stephanie, got married in Denver in 2015. The couple have two children, Kensington and Quinn.
Wagstaff has a degree in Civil Engineering, a Masters in Business Administration and a Masters in Traffic Engineering. In 2012 and 2013, he worked part-time at an engineering firm. In 2016, he started studying for a Masters in Financial Planning.