Perth Lynx Preview – Home to Bendigo Spirit
Top spot in the WNBL goes on the line on Thursday night with a blockbuster match up with the Perth Lynx putting their five-game winning streak on the line against Sami Whitcomb and the undefeated Bendigo Spirit.
The stage is set for the game of the 2024/25 WNBL season to date on Thursday night at Bendat Basketball Centre when the Lynx play host to the Spirit.
The Lynx are back on their home floor on a five-game winning streak to sit on a 6-1 record on the season as they play host to a Spirit team who arrive in Perth having won all seven of their matches so far.
The winner of Thursday night’s match up will take top spot in the WNBL as well with the Lynx having the chance to sit ahead of the Spirit with both teams sitting at 7-1 or Bendigo can move two matches clear by improving to 8-0 and sending Perth to 6-2.
The Lynx come into the game fresh off beating the Townsville Fire also on their home floor by 26 points last Wednesday night before backing that up with the seven-point road victory against the Southside Flyers on Sunday.
Bendigo, meanwhile, has so far beaten the Adelaide Lightning (14 points), UC Capitals (23), Geelong United (17), Sydney Flames (19), Townsville (eight), Flyers (eight) and Canberra (20) this season and arrives in Perth fresh off beating the Caps on Saturday.
Over the first seven games of the season that Bendigo has won they are averaging scoring 89.9 points a game while conceding just the 74.3 which has them ranked second offensively and first on defence.
The Lynx are first in scoring across the league putting up 91.0 points a game while defensively they are ranked fifth having given up 81.6 points a game.
Former Perth captain Sami Whitcomb has started the season in hot form for the Spirit as well delivering 23.4 points a game to go with 7.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists on the back of shooting 52.0 per cent from the field and 46.6 per cent from three-point range.
She’s also receiving plenty of help from Marianna Tolo, Casey Samuels, Veronica Burton, Abbey Wehrung, Kelly Wilson, and then Kelsey Griffin returned last week against the Capitals.
The Lynx have so far been without co-captain Amy Atwell across the first seven games of the season but plenty of players have been stepping up including new import Laeticia Amihere putting up 16.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.6 steals.
Co-captain Anneli Maley is also delivering 13.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.9 steals with Ally Wilson adding 14.7 points, 3.9 assists, 3.6 boards and 2.1 steals, Alex Ciabattoni 8.4 points, 4.4 assists and 3.7 rebounds, and Steph Gorman 8.3 points and 3.6 boards.
Atwell is also set to make her return from a knee injury to take on Bendigo on Thursday night as well.
Then there is Miela Sowah who is providing 16.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists on the back of shooting 45.0 per cent from the field and 34.2 per cent from three-point range.
She has come into her second season with the Lynx on the back of a terrific off-season playing in the NBL1 North at the North Gold Coast Seahawks along with then getting married, going on her honeymoon and then coming back to Perth.
She is enjoying everything about the way the Lynx are playing under coach Ryan Petrik and the way it suits her down to a tee.
“I think our style is pretty unique in the league and I don’t think really anyone plays quite like us,” Sowah said.
“I’d say sometimes when we do play like that and it’s going well I would say other teams try to play a little bit similar against us and faster than normal, but they’re not quite as used to it as we are because that’s our style of play.
“I would say it’s definitely a very unique and modern style of basketball, and we love it.”
Sowah now can’t wait for the challenge that Bendigo will present in the top-of-the-table match up back at Bendat Basketball Centre on Thursday night.
“Bendigo, they are going to be a tough one and they are undefeated obviously,” she said.
“They definitely have some key players to their squad and I think it’s going to mainly come down to our defence and if we’re able to stop their key players.
“That will also feed into our offence to allow us to get out and run, get into transition and playing fast like we like to do.
“Everyone should come down for the game because it’s going to be a good one to watch, and it will definitely be us giving it all we’ve got for four quarters.”
CYGNETT WNBL SEASON 2024/25
Round 6 – Perth Lynx v Bendigo Spirit
Venue – Bendat Basketball Centre
Tip-off – Thursday December 5, 7pm AWST
Tickets – Available by clicking here
How to watch – Live, free and on demand on 9Now