Perth Lynx Preview – Away to Southside Flyers
The Perth Lynx have now won four straight matches this WNBL season as they look to keep the momentum going on the road to the Southside Flyers on Sunday.
The Lynx made it four consecutive victories with the 106-80 victory at home to the Townsville Fire on Wednesday night to improve to a 5-1 record on the season overall.
They now take on a Flyers team who they did defeat 94-79 back in the opening game of the season at Bendat Basketball Centre only this time it will be at Melbourne’s State Basketball Centre.
It will be the first time the teams have met in the venue since the Game 3 of last season’s Grand Final series but with the significant changes on both teams since, it’s unlikely that’s going to be on the mind of many taking part in the contest.
While the Lynx come into the match with a 5-1 record, the Flyers are sitting 2-3 in their championship defence and having not played since an eight-point defeat last Sunday on the road to the undefeated Bendigo Spirit.
The game starts at 12.30pm Melbourne time on Sunday to enable it to be broadcast live on 9GO across the country with Petrik not interested in any sort of excuses about when or where games are played.
“We got sent the clip of Alice after the Southside game and from our point of view, I love that Ross Lyon-ism of anyone, anywhere, anytime. It’s 9.30am Perth time when we play Southside, we don’t care,” Petrik said.
“If the game’s at midday or midnight, whenever. I assume it’s because of broadcasting rights and getting as many eyeballs on TV, and these girls all deserve to get paid a heck of a lot more than they currently get paid.
“To do that you’ve got to get on free-to-air TV and onto TV channels, and have as many eyeballs watching and people in the stands as you can. If that means we play at 9.30 Perth time, whatever. That’s when the game is and Southside have to play at the same time so just get on with it.”
Petrik also confirmed that co-captain Amy Atwell wouldn’t be available for Sunday’s game in Melbourne with a potential return next Thursday night in the match up at home with the currently undefeated and league-leading Bendigo Spirit.
“We expect her back next week. It’s just a precautionary thing and you can’t win the championship in November, but you can lose it,” Petrik said.
“Especially at 5-1, no one can win it right now but they can lose so rushing her back, we’d rather give her another week, another week and another week just to be as careful as we possibly can be.
“It’s the same deal with our minute loads, they’re as low as they can possibly be and if that means we get the odd gunky fourth quarter as we try to preserve legs, then so be it.
“We’re trying to do everything we can to be in as good a condition health-wise as we can come February-March. If that means we have to rest Atwell for another game then that’s what we’ll do.”
CYGNETT WNBL SEASON 2024/25
Round 5 – Perth Lynx v Southside Flyers
Venue – State Basketball Centre (Melbourne)
Tip-off – Sunday December 1, 9.30am AWST
How to watch – Live on 9GO and 9now