Light-hearted no longer
TweetTHE countdown is on for Adelaide Lightning in the race to salvage one of the WNBL's most successful clubs.
Time is up on Friday, the Lightning still short by $150G and with the further blow of losing captain and Opals vice-captain Laura Hodges to Bourges in France next season.
Hodges hung on as long as she could but with nothing coming out of Basketball SA which sounded like salvation, she took the only step a pro athlete could, accepting a deal that was on the table.
LIGHTNING PLIGHT: On Page 1 of The Advertiser, with details inside (below)
And I know it broke her heart but let's face it, this has been going on since February.
"I didn't want to leave. I held off as long as I could," Hodges - the club's only marquee player - said.
"Hopefully I can come back and be part of Adelaide's revival."
With former Lightning and Canberra Capitals assistant coach Simon Pritchard signing at Bendigo for the next two years, months after Chris Lucas confirmed his intent to stay with champion Townsville, it leaves a potential Lightning club with few coaching options.
Vicki Valk, who took the team to the title in 2008, looks the most likely candidate, if the club beats Basketball Australia's deadline of Friday to have the necessary finances to continue.
Today's local media efforts - radio and TV have jumped aboard as well - will all help but the question is will it be too little, too late?
Fingers crossed it isn't.
Online
Today's Lightning story at News Corp: http://bit.ly/1J4mFCx
And previously: http://bit.ly/1IJhY0H