WNBL PotW: Checkmate
TweetTWO big wins by Southside to leave the Flyers alone at the top of the table as the WNBL's only unbeaten team, certainly shone the Player of the Week spotlight on its personnel this round.
Sara Blicavs enjoyed two solid performances in wins over intrastate rivals Bendigo and Melbourne, her 16-point final quarter against the Spirit setting up that runaway win.
The Blitz went for 21 and 16 points in the Flyers' two flyers, Rebecca Cole also no slouch with a match-high 23 points against Bendigo and a further 14 against Melbourne.
Leilani Mitchell and Jenna O'Hea also were prominent, but no-one moreso than WNBA import Mercedes Russell.
The flashy Merc went for 12 points and 15 rebounds against Bendigo, then 19 and 11 against Melbourne for round averages of 15.5 points and 13 rebounds. Russell was 9-of-9 from the floor against the Boomers and shot at 50 percent against the Spirit.
If it was a chess game, Southside had all the right pieces. But meanwhile, way out west, Townsville desperately needed to break its win drought and achieved it when using its Bishop efficiently to lower the red queens' colours.
Fire teammate Micaela Cocks was magnificent for 22 points at 75 percent, 4-of-5 threes, five rebounds, five assists, three steals in the overtime win over Perth but it was Abby Bishop who narrowly pipped her for our Player of the Week award.
The Bish delivered a round-high 31 points with 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals to earn our highest accolade and win the Fire's first PotW award for 2019-20.
BASKETBALL ON THE INTERNET PLAYER of the Week
Round 1 Kelsey Griffin (Capitals)
Round 2 Jenna O’Hea (Flyers)
Round 3 Brianna Turner (Lightning)
Round 4 Abby Bishop (Fire)