WNBL RD 5 GAME 1
WHEN:
- TODAY DECEMBER 8 – 5:30PM SA TIME
WATCH: Kayo (ABC IView)
WHERE: Cairns Pop-Up Arena
Lightning strike with Aimee Brett
The focus is clear going into the week ahead for the Lightning and rookie WNBL player Aimee Brett. “We have spent the last few days getting our scout down pat and what we need to do to lock down and get these next few wins,” Brett shared with the Lightning Press. “Energy, communication, and what we need to do and what we need to perform in are the areas this week we need to highlight and execute.”
The season is no doubt going to benefit areas of the games of players like Brett for NBL1 2021 and she’ll be taking those principles and points back to the Forestville Eagles in the Central competition. “I’ve been soaking up information on a daily basis, watching great amazing players, grabbing lots of tips and tricks; I feel like I am learning a lot this season,” Brett said about her experiences inside the Lightning camp.
Key Matchups
Steph Talbot vs. Tess Madgen
One player keen to put in a big one against the Boomers will be our Captain Talbot. In their last matchup she scored 12 points with a majority coming when the game was out of reach. Expect her to attack in transition and try to get Maddie Garrick and Ash Karaitiana to chase her all the way up the court numerous times.
Madgen has responded well after her ankle injury and produced one of her biggest games against the Lightning in recent years with 16 points and 5 assists. Containing the Boomers quasi-point guard will be a key to limiting the ball movement for the Boomers.
Chelsea Brook vs. Cayla George
Brook has 42 points in her last three games combined and has hit form at the right time of the season. Against the Boomers last time she was quiet with only 9 points and needs to get active offensively. If she can have a consistent week on the scoreboard and form the three headed force from the South; The Lightning will look very potent at both ends of the floor.
George had a massive double double last time against the Lightning with 16 points, 15 rebounds and a +/- of 32. As one of the most efficient on the court, the Lightning need to do a good job containing her and stop her getting rebounds on the glass; an area the Lightning have been trying to resurrect during the season.
The Last Strike
The key game of the double is what the Lightning do against the Boomers and what we are all waiting to see is what kind of response there will be from last time. “We need to make sure we get our scout down pat, show great communication on offense and defence, focus on the positives we know we are good at and get rolling from the start,” Brett summed up about the match-ups for the Boomers and likely the same against the Spirit.
We wait with anxious anticipation to see what they can produce against the Boomers and repeat the following night against the Spirit and set up hopefully an opportunity to basically play in an elimination final Friday against the Townsville Fire.
Last time they have met:
RD 3 2020: MELBOURNE BOOMERS 91 (George, Madgen 16, Garrick 15, Magbegor 11, Karaitiana 9, Purcell, Davidson 8) DEFEATED ADELAIDE LIGHTNING (Wilson 13, Talbot 12, Brook 9) at Townsville Stadium
Round 14 2016/2017: Roberts rebound seals first win in rough Lightning season
A winless season can create a watershed moment for a club and in 2016 against the Melbourne Boomers although innocuous at the time, one of the biggest offensive rebounds and put backs finally put a W in the Win column for the club and coach Chris Lucas. Leading by 6 points and winless for the season at the Geelong Arena, import Coleen Planeta was looking to shoot a mid-range jumper from the free throw area before a little dish inside to a 3-1 Tayla Roberts (22 points and 13 rebounds in the finish) to have it bounce off the backboard.
The centre was having none-of-that managed as she gathered the ball in and reeled it back in against her three Boomer opponents. She then put back the ball off the glass for a deuce as the margin pushed out beyond management for the Boomers. A last stop for Planeta produced the Lightning’s first win in that season 71-67.