Is the WNBL top four settled?
TweetIS the WNBL's final four looking a little too close to final to you?
Sydney Uni Flames, Perth Lynx, Townsville Fire and SEQ Stars comprise the playoff quartet right now, with just a little past one-third of the regular season gone.
And they are the teams showing the most promise for continuing in the rich vein they already are in.
Sydney losing Leilani Mitchell and Mikaela Ruef (to Adelaide) from last season's preliminary finalist, surprisingly has not missed a beat.
The influence of the Wildcats' program on Perth Lynx has been pronounced. (Especially at the Lynx's home games. For Naismith's sake, TURN DOWN THE MUSIC.)
But Andy Stewart has his team firing and his name in contention for Coach of the Year.
The Fire are up and around where you'd expect and with the money newcomer South East Queensland spent in the off-season, they're where you'd expect as well.
The best thing for the Stars though has been how well they've done without key signing Erin Phillips - out for the season with injury - and with Bec Allen only recently joining the group.
Players such as Lauren Mansfield have been the revelation, while Amy Lewis, whose career looked over in Adelaide, has reinvented herself, rejuvenating her career and sparking the Stars in the process.
Obviously Canberra has been the big disappointment, given it still boasts reigning MVP Abby Bishop, WNBA championship-winner Renee Montgomery and star-in-waiting Stephanie Talbot. But even LJ's return can't get them into playoff talk.
Adelaide already has more wins than most expected during the Lightning's torrid off-season, leaving it as more a spoiler than a contender.
TOP 4: Bendigo's Kerryn Harrington against Perth. Has the ship already sailed?
So basically that leaves the three Vics - Dandenong, Melbourne or Bendigo - to make a run at the four.
Let's be frank. None of them have set the world on fire in terms of consistency.
Their best is definitely good enough to contend, no question.
But the challenge for Larissa Anderson, Guy Molloy and Simon Pritchard is getting their players to produce their best on some sort of regular basis.
It's one thing for Bendigo to beat Perth in Perth - the secret was the ear plugs - but to then lose in Adelaide erases it.
That's why Shannon Seebohm, Andy Stewart, Chris Lucas and Shane Heal have enjoyed the upper hand.
With the new TV deal "imminent" - as it has been since the WNBL declared it expected to be on FTA by Round 3 - it would be a crying shame if the league's finalists already were determined by the time we have the television product.
But honestly, I'm only seeing Dandenong as any sort of genuine threat to upsetting the top four applecart. If that.
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Jan Stirling in new BA role: http://bit.ly/1NRKMCZ