THE WNBL semi finals continue on Thursday night, with the ladder-leading Townsville Fire set to face off against the Perth Lynx for a spot in the Grand Final series.

Things kicked off on Wednesday night with a clash between the Southside Flyers and the Melbourne Boomers in entertaining fashion, and the star power across the Fire and Lynx should ensure that trend continues.

Game one takes place on Thursday at Townsville Entertainment Centre, with the Fire having earned hosting advantage to start the best of three series.

While Townsville will enter the match as favourites, Perth has the capability of taking at least one game in the series, so expect both teams to come out firing in the first match, with momentum set to play a key factor.

WNBL Semi-Final Two – Townsville Fire vs. Perth Lynx

GAME ONE – Thu March 9th, 6:30pm @ Townsville Entertainment Centre
GAME TWO – Sun March 12th, 3:30pm @ Bendat Basketball Centre
GAME THREE* – Thu March 16th, 6:30pm @ Townsville Entertainment Centre

* – if required

How they fared in the regular season

The Fire could not have delivered a better finish to the home and away fixture, storming to top spot on the back of a 12-game winning streak that is yet to be broken. Despite the Boomers and the Flyers holding the top two spots for most of the season, Townsville snatched the minor championship in the final few rounds. On the other hand, the Lynx had to come home strong, but snuck in to claim fourth place with a record of 13 wins and eight losses, winning their last three games.

Last time they met

Perth Lynx (81) def. by Townsville Fire (91)

The two sides last clashed in Round 13, and it was the Fire that took the win by 10 points on the road. The Lynx gave it their all at Bendat Basketball Centre, with the likes of Robbi Ryan carrying the offence. Unfortunately, Townsville saw Karlie Samuelson and Courtney Woods get hot from the field and the Fire managed to claim a double-digit win and continue their winning streak.

Key players

Townsville

The Fire have a number of contributors that can chime in and turn a game on its head, including star guard Steph Reid. One of Australia’s best point guards, Reid has the potential to turn all of her teammates into genuine scoring threats with her passing ability, creating excellent looks with her vision and execution. She compliments the likes of Tianna Hawkins and Mikaela Ruef perfectly, and could be the wildcard of the series.

Perth

Much of the game will come down to the battle of the bigs, with both lists containing some premier frontcourt players. Lauren Scherf will hold the key for Perth in this sense, as she will be going head to head with Hawkins. The 27-year-old has averaged 14.4 points, 10 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, and can play a key role here. If she can not only restrict the dangerous Hawkins, but also impact the game offensively, things may turn in Perth’s favour in a big way.