Basketball On The Internet.

WHAT a sizzling start the WNBL enjoyed across its five Round 1 games, winning teams averaging 99.4ppg and three scoring 100+ points! And it wasn't on the back of defence being a casualty. It was just some great basketball, Lauren Nicholson topping the individual bill with a round-high 35-point haul.

Truly it felt as if everyone playing WNBL was inspired by the recent FIBA World Cup being staged in Australia and the Opals claiming Bronze.

It is the kind of unquantifiable factor that can and does influence players viewing the spectacle to get on court and put in extra hours because some of the quality on display in Round 1 was off the charts.

Melbourne started the ball rolling with a super-efficient team performance in Perth, highlighted by Tiffany Mitchell stepping from what have been the shadows of the championship team into a spotlight of her own.

The round opened for the Caps with a loss at home to Bendigo, orchestrated by their championship star Kelsey Griffin. And then the round proved a real "Baptism of Fire" for new Canberra coach Kristen Veal as Nicholson led the Fire on a complete devastation of the hapless Caps in Townsville.

Southside was every bit as good as advertised but Adelaide's pluck and persistence under rookie coach Nat Hurst also had to be admired.

Come on now - 91 points as a losing score? And that's with marquee player and World Cup All Star Five's Steph Talbot scoring 11? This Lightning also will be a team to watch.

And so will Bendigo which, as expected, took very competent care of business.

OK, that was the upside. The downside?

Oh good Lord. The TV coverage was just awful and, full credit to the WNBL and several of its commentary teams for their apologies about it. Incorrect scores, no time clock, pixelations, loss of sound, just amateur-hour stuff far from befitting a major competition.

It opened with Perth looking pretty in pink against Melbourne, even though they were in red. Do NOT adjust the colour on your set, or play any drinking game involving Jenni Screen saying "drained' "drains" or "draining" a shot, or "bottom of the net" because you will be paralytic by halftime.

Let's cross to Canberra where the young 'un in charge of graphics clearly is an NBA fan: 

Fortunately someone did point out to him - had to be a him - that the WNBL, unlike the NBA, does NOT play 12-minute quarters.

And finally to Lori Chizik, one of the most experienced callers of women's basketball in this country. Lori, there simply is NO EXCUSE for calling Southside, Opals and Olympic forward Sara Blicavs as "Steph Blicavs". Sara's sister-in-law is now not only a couple of years removed from playing WNBL but also has produced two little 'uns.

And there is even less excuse for calling Sara as "Blick-avs" which happened more than once. Seriously, just be better.

  ROUND 1 - FULL of FUN

BOOMERS championship import Tiffany Mitchell started her sophomore WNBL season with 32 points at 50 per cent, along with nine assists to lead Melbourne to a comfortable 16-point win over grand final adversary Perth. Kristy Wallace also relished her freedom as Boomers PG, her 24 points at 76 per cent after she started strongly but sat after copping early fouls. Cayla George was big and Mia Murray did a number of one per centers as Sami Whitcomb and Lauren Scherf were left to carry a Lynx team with plenty of energy but not as much nous.

MELBOURNE BOOMERS 104 (Mitchell 32, Wallace 24, George 21, Murray 11; George 10 rebs; Mitchell 9 assts) d PERTH LYNX 88 (Whitcomb 30, Scherf 17, Atwell 14, Sharp, Bibby 10; Scherf 8 rebs; Scherf 5 assts) at The Zoo, Bendat Basketball Stadium.

KELSEY GRIFFIN's return to Canberra with her original club Bendigo was a huge personal success as the Spirit seized control with a 35-point second period. Griffin's game-high 25 points included 6-of-8 threes, with 12 rebounds, three assists and two steals. Bendigo shot it at 57 per cent and shared the ball with 25 assists, their defensive heat also forcing 18 Caps turnovers.

BENDIGO SPIRIT 105 (Griffin 25, Wehrung 19, Froling 15, Maley 14, McKay 12; Griffin 12 rebs; K.Wilson 9 assts) d UofCANBERRA CAPITALS 85 (Cohen 17, Swain 15, Smart 14, Burrell 13, Melbourne 11; Cohen 12 rebs; Swain 4 assts) at The Mint, National Convention Centre.

THE crowd may have come to see the G.O.A.T. Lauren Jackson but what they got on top of that was a classic game and the emergence of another future superstar in Lightning's Isabel Borlase. The 18-year-old had 25 points on 10-of-12 shooting, plus nine rebounds, three assists and two steals against arguably the most formidable team in the league. It was a high-scoring romp before Carly Ernst broke it open from range, Southside ahead by 17 in the last quarter before a thrilling Adelaide comeback dragged the deficit back to three. The Flyers' depth proved the difference.

SOUTHSIDE FLYERS 99 (Thornton 21, M.Rocci 19, Cole 16, Blicavs 14, Ernst 12, Jackson 10; Thornton 8 rebs; M.Rocci 7 assts) d ADELAIDE LIGHTNING 91 (Borlase 25, Bell, Mansfield 14, Talbot, Whittle 11; Borlase 9 rebs; Whittle 5 assts) at The Hangar, State Basketball Centre.

THE Spirit went out of their way to make their first home game a winner for fans in the region stricken by recent flooding before drowning Perth in a 26-11 second-quarter downpour. From 25-25, Bendigo sprinted out on a 14-0 run before Perth managed a free throw make in the 18-1 deluge to halftime. The Lynx rallied somewhat in the third but with Bendigo containing their starters Sami Whitcomb (4 points), Amy Atwell (5) and Lauren Scherf (3), too much was left on  the shoulders of too few. 

BENDIGO SPIRIT 85 (McKay 20, Maley 19, A.Wilson, Wehrung 13, Griffin 11; Maley 12 rebs; K.Wilson, Griffin 5 assts) d PERTH LYNX 66 (Bibby 28, Sharp 11, Ryan 8; Sharp 12 rebs; Ryan, Scherf 4 assts) at the Goldmine, Bendigo Stadium.

LIMPING into Townsville with the dour news Gemma Potter's knee injury against Bendigo was an ACL tear, Canberra never knew what hit it. From 2-2, the Caps next scored at 2-24, a 22-0 Fire flame-out that scorched this, the score at 41-16 by the first break. This was even before Lauren Nicholson went on a career-high 35-point binge at 72 per cent, with 6-of-9 threes. Or Steph Reid had collated a career-best 14 assists. The Caps were further dismantled by a 35-14 Fire frenzy in the third.  

TOWNSVILLE FIRE 104 (Nicholson 35, Hawkins 15, Reid 13, Ruef 11, Woods 10; Hawkins 12 rebs; Reid 14 assts) d UofCANBERRA CAPITALS 68 (Cohen, Burrell 14, Melbourne 8; Cohen 11 rebs; Melbourne 4 assts) at the Fire Station, Townsville Entertainment Centre.