Round 5 Preview: Welcome Perth Lynx.
It’s been a big week for Perth fans as the Lynx announced the signing of Australian Opal and FIBA Asia Cup bronze medal captain Sami Whitcomb, just in time for their round five season opener.
Round five comes with another covid interruption, with a positive case detected in the Sydney camp. The Wednesday night Flames v Bendigo Spirit clash has been postponed.
WNBL Media preview the round.
Adelaide Lightning v Melbourne Boomers.
The Lights. Thursday 7 pm local. Kayo.
Coming off a round-four bye, Adelaide’s fresh legs will be roaring to upset Melbourne’s four-game winning streak. Opals Steph Talbot and Alanna Smith will take on Cayla George, Tess Madgen and Ezi Magbegor in what is expected to be a high-intensity contest. As the Boomers’ game plan continues to gel together as they head into game six of their season, the Lightning is still warming up and will be looking to build on their confidence after coming off their first win.
Note: A Seattle Storm reunion is set with Kiana Williams, Talbot and Magbegor all hitting the WNBL court together for the first time. Talbot v Magbegor will be a key match-up to watch.
Townsville Fire v UC Capitals.
Townsville Entertainment Centre. Friday 7 pm local. Kayo Freebies.
The Caps are coming off a triple-figure score and a win while the Fire suffered a narrow loss in round four and with both teams now holding a 2-1 record so far, this clash is set to be a close one. The stats say that the UC Caps are winning the defensive game, however, the Fire’s Monique Billings and Zitina Aokuso are leading the average rebounds tally between both teams so whoever tops defense may be the difference in the game. The Fire will also look to halt Kelly Wilson as she draws closer to 400 games while the Caps will put some time into Loz Nicholson.
Note: A Brittney Sykes and Monique Billings battle is on the cards. With both players currently averaging 19.3 points per game, this player head to head will be entertaining to watch.
Adelaide Lightning v Perth Lynx.
The Lights. Sunday 2:30 pm local. Kayo Freebies.
Perth has officially hit the road and will look to come in hard to their season opener. They’ve stocked up on experience, they’ve had ample preparation time, and now they just need to put their game plan to the test. The signing of big-name Sami Whitcomb came as a Christmas morning surprise and she’ll be determined to show more of that FIBA Asia Cup form. The Lightning will have their work cut out for them, with Sami doing Sami things and Lauren Scherf a recent addition, the Lightning will need a big input from scoreboard leaders Steph Talbot, Alanna Smith and Kiana Williams.
Note: Darcee Garbin had a breakout appearance and was influential at the FIBA Asia Cup. A quiet achiever, Garbin will slowly but surely become an issue for her opposition.