Exclusive:Meet former Sheffield Sharks star Quinn Ellis - who could make it to the NBA after joining St John’s

The mother of a Sheffield basketball player aiming to take America by storm has spoken of her pride in her son - and of the system that helped shape him.

Great Britain international Quinn Ellis’ career continues to go from strength to strength, with the 23-year-old court star securing an exciting move to US college giants St John’s in New York.

Quinn comes from a family with a tremendous reputation in Basketball. His grandmother, Betty Cordona, known by many as the Queen of Basketball, founded the UK's first women's basketball club, the Sheffield Hatters in 1961, and was awarded an OBE for services to sport in 1998.

Mother Vanessa is now the coach of the Hatters, who are firing on all cylinders this year when it comes to silverware after winning the Super League finals. The team are also captained by Quinn’s cousin, Georgia Gayle, who was named MVP in the team’s title-winning campaign.

Quinn started out at the Sheffield Sharks, playing in the youth system until 2019. He excelled as a youngster and was fast-tracked through the development system before securing a move to Italy shortly after leaving school.

Speaking about Quinn’s journey in basketball, Vanessa praised the Sheffield Sharks, and spoke of her pride in her son.

Speaking to The Star, she said: “If you've got a good club system with different age groups and lots of excellent coaches it gives you the opportunity to develop faster. Quinn was often playing with people above his age group, meaning he was always getting pushed and challenged from a young age which is so important.

“I’m so proud of him, he’s been competing against a lot of people in their mid-to-late 20s and even a number of former NBA players, it’s a really high level of competition.”

Quinn moved to Sicily at the age of 16, first joining Orlandina before being signed by Aquila Basket Trento in 2022. His performances over the next three years caught the eye of basketball heavyweights Olimpia Milano, who brought him to the Euro League last year after being impressed by the youngster’s qualities.

Vanessa continued: “He initially went to Italy when he was just 16. It’s his sixth year there. Quinn loves it there, he’s fluent in Italian, absolutely adores the culture and has really made it his home. The Euro League is seen as the second best league in the world.”

The NY Post reported that Duke, BYU, Louisville, Houston and Kentucky were all interested in bringing in Quinn for the new season, showcasing just how impressive the Sheffielder’s form has been at Olympia Milano in his debut campaign.

Ultimately, St John’s won the race, and crucially this move will give him the opportunity to work under a legend of the sport in Rick Pitino, who has previously worked in NBA with giants of the game including New York Knicks, Boston Celtics and perhaps most notably Louisville Cardinals where he spent 16 years of his management career.

Vanessa said: “A combination of things made him choose St John’s. They were all good offers. But I think the fact that he’s getting to work with a hall-of-famer-coach in Rick Pitino is so good for his development. He’ll also have an important role to play and is going to feature regularly as the starting point guard. I think there we’re lots of positive talks and again it’s another opportunity for Quinn to learn about a new culture and experience different things. He’ll become more experienced and taking charge of the team and having more of a leadership role will also be really good for him.”

For one season that will begin after the summer and end with the NCAA tournament next Spring, Ellis will reportedly earn between $4.5m and $4.8m, according to the Yorkshire Post. He is then free to return to Italy for the third season of his four-year deal with Milano, unless of course he impresses and is drafted into the NBA - in a move which would further cement Sheffield’s legendary sporting heritage.

Vanessa added: “The NBA is the best in the world so it’s everyone's ambition. But he knows he can still have a great career in the Euro League where he’s really contributed. He’ll have a new challenge after being away for a year. Whatever happens he’s in a win-win position.”