THE Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) is getting extremely close to commencing its 2023/24 season, with the opener set to take place on November 1.

Last season, there was plenty of excitement as locals and imports alike fired for each of the eight teams, with a plethora of highlights gathering plenty of attention to one of the fastest growing women’s basketball competitions in the world.

The Townsville Fire won their last 16 games of the season (including finals), and claimed the ultimate prize in a dominant finish to their campaign. They will now become the hunted as seven other sides look to prevent them from going back to back.

There were plenty of player movements over the off-season too, as sides load up with a mixture of homegrown and international talent for the upcoming fixture, changing the landscape of the competition.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will be placing each side under the microscope, taking a look how all eight sides are faring in the build up to the season.

Kicking off the action for the week are the Perth Lynx, who will be eager to return to the finals after sneaking in last season.

Perth Lynx

2022/23 record – 15 wins, six losses

Players

Aari McDonald, Alexandra Ciabattoni, Amy Atwell, Amy Jacobs, Anneli Maley, Ashlee Hannan, Chloe Forster, Gemma Potter, Emma Klasztorny, Grace Foster, Mac Clinch Hoyard, Miela Goodchild, Steph Gorman, Teige Morrell

The Lynx finished fourth last year, and although they did not make it past the first week of finals, the signs were still promising after storming into the postseason. Perth will be eager to go one step further, and have made moves to keep up with the competition.

The addition of Maley was the biggest domestic recruit of the bunch, with the former MVP set to boost the frontcourt of the Lynx. Although the team does not have a lot of depth on this front, Maley has been capable of playing big minutes in the past, and can carry the load here.

The Lynx may play three guards in their lineup, given the class of Atwell, Goodchild and McDonald. All three players are among the best on the team, and a lineup of the trio would spell plenty of trouble for the opposition, especially given how much they can stretch the floor.

McDonald will play the point guard, and will get the best out of Maley in the post and Atwell from behind the perimeter with her ability to push the tempo. The team as a whole should play with plenty of pace, and that will bring opposition teams undone over 40 minutes.

The Lynx have balanced their additions, and have built a roster that complements itself in a big way. If head coach Ryan Petrik can get the lineups right and the team plays at the right tempo, Perth may return to the postseason once again.