Clarke concentrates on victory against former team

January 4, 2023 | Sydney Flames news

The Sydney Flames are rolling right now, having won their past two games and three of their past five.

This turnaround has seen Shane Heal’s side vault themselves back into finals contention.

But to keep that dream alive, the Hoops Capital side, who sit in sixth with a 3-7 record, must defeat the 5-7 Perth Lynx on Saturday.

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One player that knows the Lynx better than most is Flames guard Emma Clarke.

“I’m definitely excited for this game,” Clarke said.

“It’s always great to play against former teammates and friends, especially in your home state but the focus doesn’t change that we have a job to do and get the win.

“[Against Perth] it will be really important for us to lock into our defensive schemes we’ve been working on in this week’s lead up as well as being confident in our offences and ability to score, especially out of the pick and roll.

“As such, getting another win on the board is definitely a must for us if we’re to keep climbing the ladder and push to get into the competitive top four.

“But it’s important to focus on what we need to do one week at a time and get the job done each week.”

 

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Clarke believes that taking it one week as a time mentality for the Flames has been pivotal in turning her side’s season around, while also helping her produce her best performance of WNBL23 against Canberra last round.

“It feels really good to be back in rhythm and back on the court,” said Clarke, who tallied eight points and three rebounds against the Caps at Qudos Bank Arena.

“I’m feeling really confident so my mindset is just to keep growing and getting better each week.

“To that, it’s been great to get these last few wins and our confidence is high.

“We know that we can beat any team on any given night so it’s just about focusing on what we know we’re good at and fixing our breakdowns to be successful in these coming weeks.”

Saturday’s round nine clash will be broadcast on 9Now from 9.30pm AEDT.