Is she the "Close-r" that the Sturt Sabres need to go deep into the finals this season? Photo by Snap Shot Photography
3-Minute Read
How many wins can the Lions get to finish their second year of “re-growth”?
4… With one already up over the Warriors that broke the drought, the Lions should beat everyone that’s around them on the table except for the Eastern Mavericks who will be making a push for a finals spot. If two of those come against Warriors and Rockets then there must be an upset in there; the best chance the two Sunday afternoon fixtures at the Den in July against the Eagles and the Flames. I think they’ll get one of those two and in those other defeats make it a very hard exercise for their opposition.
Who needs to get going for the Mavs to make a charge at the finals?
Kaila Gabriel… The Mavs have plenty of pieces in place including some serious paint presence and if Olivia Bradley comes back from Sapphires in an uber aggressive mode and looks at shooting more outside shots in that mode they’ll make a charge. The one who knows can lift is Gabriel averaging 2.6 points, 2.1 assist and 2.2 rebounds, if she can lift that shooting percentage to 30-35 percent and points average to close to double figures which if its Toowoomba Mountaineers QBL version 2018 version of her in second half of season (7.6) they are still alive…
Is Eliza Joynes about to show what she can do?
Maybe she will… Joynes stepped up for the Warriors in their last game against the Sabres with a career high 15 point and 10 rebound double double. The attributes she has can help the Warriors in the second half of the season and help Tunour-McCarty and Winter in the scoring department. With her size and ability, using her in on-ball actions will become a necessity for a competitive outfit in the second half of the season.
Do Grace Facchini and Lily Zbierski need to see starter minutes?
YES! Both these players have shown they are the part of the future of the Rockets and I love the way they both play the game. Both are getting 8-12 minutes a game in 2022 and realistically with 2-7 and each team ahead of them on the ladder likely to inflict a few losses in the second half of the season, turning an eye to 2023 may not be a bad idea. The Rockets need another aggressive scorer and stretch forward and Facchini with already an average of 5 points at 42 percent and a couple of double figure games and Zbierski with 4.6 points and 2.7 rebounds and a 17 point haul including three triples against the Panthers; they are ideal players to up to 20-25 minutes a game in this line-up. Bails, Facchini, Taylor/De Francesco, Zbierski and some more of Awur Ajak at times.
How do the Eagles be “More than Simons?”
Mon Hanna… Its time for the import to really find her groove and grab one of those two starting forward positions as her own. Averaging 3.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 10 minutes a game currently those numbers have to triple to really take the spotlight off Sam and Jess Simons getting it done night in night out. Bella Stratford spoke to The Hoopsters NBL1 Basketball Show about the team spreading the load amongst the group especially if the other two are silenced by opposition defenders. Sometimes you have to throw the key piece regardless of what form into the cooker of the starting line-up and see what they can do…
Can Coleman be the piece that delivers the championship to the Flames?
She’s the missing piece… I was big on the Flames being in the top two by the time the regular season concluded and even with a record of 5-4 under Terry-Jo McNamara they are still a huge threat to do that. The addition of Coleman just strengthened them further in the last month and her numbers are tracking sharply north quickly with an average of 17 points and 12.6 rebounds in her last three games. The test of whether she is the key comes against Panthers, Tigers and Bearcats in their next five games, contenders that will tell us if the Flames are burning bright or about to turn out the light…
Are the Tigers about to “sharpen up”?
You have to give it to them they pick their moment… Rebounding and finding enough consistent scoring winners on the floor was a chief concern when the MVP and Halls medallist exited stage left to the West; The Tigers seems to have covered those bases now with three key inclusions McKendrick, Skinner and have just added one more in import Jaedyn De La Cerda. McKendrick’s numbers early were a concern but then turned it around in a huge patch with an average of 20 points in her last five games to couple with her and De La Cerda is by the looks of things early going to give the Tigers pace and buckets. That means it doesn’t all rest on Yaeger and therefore Tigers are primed for a shot at back-to-back championships.
Is Fejo fast becoming the most influential player in the league?
Affirmative… The biggest indicator of this was not in the NBL1 but watched her at the 3×3 Hustle and that exhibition match showed off so much of her ability not all her pace and quickness but her ability to finish one on one at the rim and strength that she has regained in her body after maternity leave. Every game I’ve watched or seen for the Bearcats this season she can turn the game in an instance for her team and consistently has performed to the point we are now talking Halls medal contention. I’m hoping a WNBL club snaps her up quickly after the season though as with these attributes, a cross-code swipe could come from nowhere and nab us of an extremely talented player.
Can the Sabres get one more to really step up to put them in contention?
It depends whether you want to tamper with the formula or not… The Sabres once again prove some doubters wrong by their list getting it done as a genuine collective although Williams has been a key piece of that as an undersized five this season. They are so hard to beat at the Cave with their press and match up zones but if they are to really shake the challenge tree for the championship they need someone to be the go-to scorer who will put the ball in the hole at the crucial time; that this year before the ACL would’ve been Tayla Brazel no doubt. My prediction is that the closer of game in the second half will already be halfway there in name, Emily Close. She averages 7.1 points per game and stepped up when Mathews was down last game; she can do it again you feel…
Can the Panthers win it all without Levicki?
Yes but the odds have lengthened significantly… The biggest move of the off-season came off-court in the past week when we learnt that Levicki’s move to AFLW Port Adelaide meant curtains for the 2022 season and possibly beyond for the #2 rebounder and #3 scorer. That’s going to be tough nigh impossible for Richard Dickel to replace but perhaps they were aware anything like this could happen. When the import signing of Izzy Osk Siguardardottir occurred; it raised eyebrows considering how potent the Panthers were already at the time. In hindsight though it was a smart move as she slots straight into the five position as we saw against the Rockets and with her in that slot; the most important piece of the lineup comes from Jade Johnson. She has warmed into this season slowly but has exploded now with 16 and 32 in her last two games. With history already against them, they are still the favourites but have to find a way to get to the big dance first…
The second half of the season with such an even women’s competition however is bound to throw up some unexpected outcomes and what will be a thrilling ride for supporters of all clubs. Make sure you keep up to date on the NBL1 App, Website and here on the Cross Over Dribble…
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