THE Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) is preparing to close out a tumultious season over the next week. Round 10 kicked off last Saturday, but there are still two clashes remaining out of the six that were scheduled in the penultimate round of the season. Things kicked off six days ago, with four contests taking place over two days. In this time, there were three big wins and one tense affair as fans were provided plenty of entertainment for their weekend. This weekend will see two matches take place on Saturday night in a big double-header that will likely shake up the standings moving into the conclusion of the season.

Things will kick off with the Bendigo Spirit hosting the Perth Lynx at Bendigo Stadium on Saturday evening, in a clash between two teams enjoying contrasting seasons.

The Spirit have not had the season they were hoping for in 2021/22, winning just two of their nine games, although this was an improvement on zero wins last season. They have been competitive at times, but could not turn this into a winning record after nine (and a bit) rounds of action. They face a tough task here by taking on the ladder-leading Lynx, who have been exceptional this year. However, this is the time of year when upsets are known to happen, and they are coming off a win last weekend, so if they can continue this form (and Anneli Maley can back up her massive performance in the win), then why not?

After an interrupted start to the season, the Lynx have been the benchmark in their first nine games of action. They currently sit atop the standings with seven wins next to their name, and have produced an offence that has proven too much for most sides in the competition. They will be looking for their sixth win in a row this weekend, but this looms as a danger game, given the Spirit have nothing to lose and are coming off an impressive win. Despite this, Perth should be able to get the job done behind their stars in Jackie Young and Lauren Scherf.

The final match of the round will see the Sydney Uni Flames travel north to take on the Townsville Fire at Townsville Entertainment Centre on Saturday night, in a rematch of a clash from last weekend.

The Fire are currently fighting to keep their season alive this weekend, given they currently sit in fifth spot on the ladder, but have played one less game than their fourth-placed peers. A win here would do wonders for their chances of making the finals, and will be given a boost by the fact that they were dominant in defeating the Flames at the same time last weekend. It was a 20-point victory as they cruised to their fifth win of the season in convincing fashion. However, they will still need to bring their A-game as the Flames will be eager to turn the tables and cause a bit of an upset.

The Flames simply could not get their 2021/22 season rolling, winning just one of their nine outings to find themselves at the bottom of the ladder with their campaign wrapping up. They have shown glimpses of promise throughout the year, but could not convert these into four-quarter performances. They were well and truly bested by the Fire last week, and will be eager to grab some revenge and finish their season in style. However, they will need to improve their performance in a big way if they are to do this.