ADELAIDE’S Nia Coffey and Perth’s Brittany McPhee shone in the Lynx’s loss to the Lightning on Saturday. In other games, Melbourne’s Lindsay Allen, Canberra’s Keely Froling and Townsville’s Zitina Aokuso all contributed well in their opening games.

Adelaide Lightning- #12 Nia Coffey

Coffey was arguably the best player on the court against Perth. She showed her strength all day, pulling down strong rebounds and driving hard to the ring. The 23 year-old was great in the air, helping to draw fouls, take rebounds and put up shots. A highlight of her game was when she rebounded a missed shot off her defensive pressure, then broke away down the court for a great basket. She ended with 19 points, 15 rebounds and three assists.

Melbourne Boomers- #15 Lindsay Allen

Allen scored 18 points in her first game for the Boomers, being one of the standouts in Melbourne’s loss. She was extremely accurate on the floor, sinking seven shots from 12 attempts, resulting in 57 per cent accuracy. She also shot 50 per cent from outside the paint, landing three three-pointers from six attempts.

Townsville Fire- #15 Zitina Aokuso

Aokuso shot 50 per cent from the field to earn herself six points in the Fire’s opener. She also made one three-pointer from two attempts, achieving a 50 per cent field goal percentage from beyond the paint as well. From just 10 minutes of game time, Aokuso did well to make an immediate impact with her time on court.

UC Capitals- #21 Keely Froling

Froling scored seven points in the Capitals’ win over Sydney. She made three out of four shots from the field, earning a 75 per cent field goal percentage. Froling also scored an impressive three-pointer, nailing her only three-point attempt for the night.

Perth Lynx- #24 Brittany McPhee

McPhee managed to always pop up in the right spot and had a really good jump shot. She contributed well during the game and was proactive with the ball in hand. Did not make a massive impact but still contributed well outside the paint. McPhee also rebounded well and was able to calm things down by passing it around to get a good shot up. She ended up with 11 points and five rebounds.