WNBL24 Semi Final Townsville vs Perth Preview

Written by Jayden Rosanowski

The first game of the semi-final series between the Townsville Fire and Perth Lynx is set to kick off this week, promising a thrilling start to their three-game showdown.

Although Townsville has dominated all three head-to-head encounters this WNBL season, both teams faced defeats against the Southside Flyers within their most recent 5 games.

Shannon Seebohm, WNBL Coach of the Year for the 2023/24 season, aims to guide his Townsville Fire to championship glory after setbacks against the Southside Flyers and unexpected losses to the Bendigo Spirit and Adelaide Lightning recently.

The Perth Lynx have showcased slightly higher scoring ability, totalling 1767 points compared to Townsville Fire’s 1670 points this season. They have also dominated the boards, securing 806 rebounds against Townsville’s 705.

However, Townsville Fire have displayed superior shooting accuracy, boasting a 44% shooting percentage compared to Perth Lynx’s 41.8%. They have outperformed Perth in steals and assists, tallying 200 steals and 351 assists compared to Perth’s 153 steals and 346 assists.

Aari McDonald, a key player for Perth Lynx, leads the charge with an impressive 19.8 points per game average and tops the assists chart with 5.5 assists per game. Anneli Maley provides invaluable support with an average of 12.8 rebounds per game, while Amy Atwell contributes as the second-highest scorer with an average of 17.9 points per game.

Sami Whitcomb spearheads the Townsville Fire, leading in assists with an average of 4.6 per game and scoring the highest average points for her team at 14.5 per game. Whitcomb also boasts the most minutes played among both teams and has earned a spot on the WNBL Second Team for the 2023/24 season.

This marks Townsville Fire’s eighth appearance in the WNBL Finals in the past eleven years, striving to secure their fifth championship in the last decade.

The Perth Lynx’s performance notably depends on Aari McDonald‘s presence, as they averaged 88 points per game when she played, compared to 77 points per game in her absence. McDonald has only faced Townsville once this season, adding an element of unpredictability to the upcoming clash.

The clash will be played at 6:00pm (AEST) at Townsville Entertainment & Convention Centre. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN and 9Now, as well as Live & Free via unbeaten.com or FIBA YouTube for international viewers.

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