Among many accolades, Stiles was named 2001 WNBA Rookie of the Year and will fill the void left by Gina Stevens, bringing a wealth of experience to the Fire roster.

"When the search began to replace Gina Stevens I was looking for a player who could score consistently and give us a real offensive threat," Fire coach David Herbert said.

"In Jackie we have more than that, we have someone who has proven herself capable at every level of basketball."

However, Stiles' illustrious career has been plagued by injury recently.

Nine medical procedures in two years pushed her to the sidelines and eventually off the roster of WNBA club, the Los Angeles Sparks.

Now on the road to recovery, the former Southwest Missouri State University star plans to use her stint in Townsville as a stepping stone back to the WNBA.

Herbert said the Fire would pay close attention to Stiles in an effort to keep her injury-free.

"The report I have is she is fully fit and excited about the prospect of stepping back into competitive basketball again," he said.

"(Stiles' injuries) have been over-use injuries. She takes 1000 shots a day, her work ethic is so high so that is something we have to monitor."

The 25-year-old will take a significant pay cut to play in Australia, but made the compromise in favour of recuperation.

Stiles was also attracted by tales of the Townsville lifestyle.

"It was not a question of money, it was where she felt most comfortable," Herbert said.

"She likes the idea of a small town, she didn't want to go to a capital city and we just sold the lifestyle to her."

The addition of Stiles gives Herbert more firepower, particularly when taking on the likes of the Canberra Capitals and their playmaker Lauren Jackson.

Heading into their fourth season, the Fire hold expectations of a solid year which would include an appearance in the playoffs.

Herbert believes Stiles will help this cause as well as assist in the development of younger Fire talent.

"It will be fantastic for the younger kids, the likes of Lauren King and Georgia Woodyard, to play with the experience of Jackie and where she has been and what she has done," he said.

"We believe our team is ready to go to the next level and with the addition of Jackie, it certainly helps our cause."