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Week #19 Rankings: Bishop to also bless WNBA
TweetWITH the Aussie assault at the WNBA on in earnest, expect the next big coup to be the signing of Canberra Caps’ MVP favourite Abby Bishop.
Bish, who was a member of Seattle Storm’s 2010 WNBA Champion, has been tearing the WNBL apart this season.
She leads the league in points (23.2) and rebounds (10.8) and is fifth in free throw percentage at 78.9% and steals with 1.3.
There’s rarely been a round where she hasn’t been in Player of the Week discussions and, with Marianna Tolo, Rebecca Allen, Cayla Francis, Leilani Mitchell and Tess Madgen all heading for The Show, it was only a matter of time before Abby’s domination was noticed.
It has been. An announcement is due any day.
HOW misnamed are Melbourne UNITED?
The revamped Melbourne-based NBL artists formerly known as the Tigers, have thrown away their season, multiple two-team championship winner Daryl Corletto lowering the boom earlier this week and interim coach Darryl McDonald also telling it straight to the Herald-Sun’s Nick Smart.
“You see it - it ain’t no secret,” D-Mac said. “But my problem with it all is the finger pointing.
“If you’re not doing something don’t point it at someone else, that’s the problem I’ve had.
“I’m not in the locker room so I don’t know what goes on while they are in there, but I’m a big camaraderie guy.
“I personally believe some guys don’t want to be here, I think they’re ready to go.
“But I’ve still got a job to do trying to make the finals, so guys still got to play.”
Yeah. Good luck with that.
Does this kind of public airing of the laundry get everyone onto the same page?
Or does it further fracture the rift?
Guess we’ll find out in Cairns.
GOOD news, apparently, with ABC-TV yesterday back-pedalling and revealing it will show the WNBL Semi Finals live after all.
“We are excited to announce that both WNBL semi finals will be shown live on ABC2 from 3pm Sat (February) 21st and Sun 22nd.” the network gleefully reported yesterday.
Who says there’s no such thing as “people power”?
(Certainly not John Laurinaitis.)
WNBL Player of the Week
IT is rare that we here in the ergonomically-advantaged B.O.T.I. offices, office stationary and station offices agree with both the NBL and WNBL on their Player of the Week choices but then again, this is “Fabruary” when all things are Fab.
So it is with great enjoyment we can only say well done to Todd Blanchfield and Cayla Francis – a Townsville double – for also winning the leagues’ PotW nods.
NBL Rankings
This Wk-Prev (Record)
8 (7) UNITED 11-13 – Squabbling, individual and very much on a road to no-where.
7 (8) KINGS 9-16 – Showing great heart but simply lacking sufficient fit pieces.
6 (6) HAWKS 5-20 – Finally the “spoilers” we have been expecting for a while.
5 (5) CROCODILES 9-16 – Can make it to fifth and have the wood on Melbourne.
4 (3) BREAKERS 18-7 – Have been consistent at bouncing back after a loss.
3 (4) WILDCATS 15-10 – Look out! Perth is on its way back to health and contention.
2 (2) 36ERS 14-11 – Seven straight wins and anxious for a W across the Tasman.
1 (1) TAIPANS 19-7 – Closing on regular season title and must not waiver against Melbourne.
WNBL Rankings
This Wk-Prev (Record)
8 (8) WAVES 4-17 – Have fallen away too sharply but should dig out a big last game.
7 (5) CAPITALS 10-11 – Recent losses have pulled the rug out on what was a promising year.
6 (7) LIGHTNING 6-15 – On a three-win streak and can make it four in Whyalla.
5 (4) FLAMES 10-11 – Fate still in their hands but Townsville is a tough ask.
4 (1) RANGERS 12-8 – Costly loss may have set up a KO final against the same Boomers.
3 (6) BOOMERS 10-11 – Season-defining round last week was just that. Bounced back.
2 (3) SPIRIT 15-6 – Probably a generous ranking given last week’s “great escape”.
1 (2) FIRE 16-4 – Back looking like the team to beat for the 2014-15 Championship.
This Week's Tips
THE Breakers belted Adelaide previously in Auckland and got them again last time in Adelaide. The 36ers are a different unit now though and this has a finals-type atmosphere all over it. Jackson-Wilson, Webster-Gibson, Abercrombie-Creek, Vukona-Petrie, Pledger-Motum, then guys such as Ibekwe, Wesley and Te Rangi off the Breakers bench and Johnson, Teys, Schenscher, Crawford off Adelaide’s – this is a marquee matchup. Form says Sixers.
WHAT a week already for Melbourne, and now it’s on up to Cairns where the Taipans are edging closer to their historic first regular season championship. With all the heat of the “war of words” from within the Far-From-United camp, expect Melbourne to come out with guns blazing. Provided Cairns weathers that OK, the Taipans can expect Far-From to fold along the dotted lines as the pressure intensifies. Anyone still wondering why Chris Anstey left?
TOWNSVILLE mathematically can finish as high as fifth if it can take out Melbourne again and a couple of other results fall its way. The Crocodiles are rocking and when it comes to Far-From, Townsville has the additional knowledge it beat Melbourne as early as the Blitz after trailing by 19 at halftime. You have to feel you have another team’s number when you win from there. Never forget Wortho though. Favouring the Crocs but who knows which Melbourne shows up?
COMING home strongly, Wollongong at Sydney will be hell bent on taking advantage of the fact the Kings only have the manpower to go with elite teams for three quarters. Of course, how elite are the Hawks? Sydney will be sizing this one up as a possible chance to stem the bleeding while Wollongong will be fuelled by its good recent form and the rivalry’s rich history. This should be a cracker but I’m leaning to the Hawks.
STILL amazed by the level of vitriol some Wildcats “fans” levelled at their team and coach Trevor Gleeson while Perth experienced a rare slump. (It was like old times reading the Hoops Forum in SA whenever the 36ers dropped a game!) Regaining Matt Knight and Greg Hire, Perth has taken very little time to get back to its more ruthless form and it strikes this era’s arch rival New Zealand at the perfect time. The Wildcats will be hungry for this and will feed furiously.
BENDIGO will finish off Canberra’s drive for a final four spot but can expect a hard night of it regardless, the Capitals with plenty in the armoury and playing with desperation. The Spirit barely escaped Melbourne’s clutches in a miraculous overtime win last round and are within Canberra’s scope if the Caps produce a big one. But if Kelsey Griffin, Gabe Richards, Belinda Snell and Co are firing, this will be the Caps’ last hurrah.
ADELAIDE’s final game for Jenni Screen and Jess Foley before impending retirement will take place in Whyalla, home of similarly retiring club owner Vince Marino, and against Dandenong. The question is will the Rangers, who cannot be shifted out of third place, rest a few key players ahead of the home game against Townsville? If they do and this potentially being Adelaide’s farewell game, expect the Lightning to go out winners.
ABOVE: Jess Foley and Jenni Screen ... Whyalla game is the real farewell.
SYDNEY’s season rests on beating Townsville or hoping Canberra and Melbourne lose. New soon-to-be Phoenix Mercury teammates Leilani Mitchell and Cayla Francis will cross paths and the Fire will be anxious to take winning form into the finals. With Ruef off, the Flames do not have enough firepower for the Fire which has Francis, The Batgirl, Steph Cumming, Rachael McCully, Mia Newley … you get the idea. Just a bit too much of everything.
MELBOURNE had a terrific weekend last round and most likely only needing West Coast’s scalp to clinch a finals berth, will make sure this goes into the W column. Too many key Waves have experienced a recent splashdown and not gotten back up while the Boomers have Bec Allen and Tess Madgen bound for the WNBA and Laurie Koehn shooting out the lights. With playoffs at stake, it is hard to see Melbourne wasting this opportunity.
TOWNSVILLE has had its issues with Dandenong since Penny Taylor arrived and will be keen to send a message to the Rangers who last week against Melbourne looked to be running in mud. Both teams will be coming off a road game so that factor should have minimal impact. Both teams are playoff-bound and will want to enter the post-season as winners and while the Rangers appear to have the upper hand psychologically, physically the Fire has the answers.
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WHY did the chicken cross the road?
To see if there were any WNBA contracts left.
