WNBL Pre Season Tournament Final Day Fixtures
Sunday 23 September

10:00 Logan Thunder v Dandenong Rangers
10:00 Sydney Uni Flames v Townsville Fire
10:00 China B v Canberra Capitals
12:00 Adelaide Lightning v West Coast Waves

12:00 Bendigo Spirit v Bulleen Boomers FINAL

Fire rebound to beat China B
The Townsville Fire shook off the disappointment of their thrashing at the hands of Bendigo to rebound with a brilliant 86-74 win over China B on day two of the WNBL Pre Season Tournament.

BOXSCORE

It was Nicole Romeo (24 points) and youngster Olivia Thompson (17 points) that led the way for the Fire as they upset the fancied Chinese outfit in a performance in stark contrast to their opening day efforts.

From the outset there was an improved intensity about the Fire, with their defensive pressure on the Chinese shooters a highlight of the 12-point win.

Micaela Cocks (10 points 7 rebounds) and Mia Newley (15 points) provided plenty of offensive spark, with the China team exposed defensively.

What we learnt
Plenty of Fire in the belly: Despite being played off the court against Bendigo, Townsville showed plenty of fight and determination to get the win.

Waves win big over Logan
The West Coast Waves have got the victory their performances have deserved, easily accounting for Logan Thunder 70-53 to claim a first win of the WNBL Pre Season Tournament.

BOXSCORE

In another lively showing by the Waves it was Deanna Smith again setting the tempo, finishing with a game-high 19 points to go with her 5 assists, while Natalie Burton put in another classy showing of 12 points and 9 rebounds.

The game was over as a contest by half time as the Waves established a 39-22 advantage, holding that same margin until the final buzzer in a performance sure to get fans excited ahead of the season proper.

Emma Langford was again impressive for the Thunder, taking on much of the scoring load to finish with 18 points.

What we learnt
Burton rises to the top: 24-year-old Natalie Burton could prove to be one of the recruits of the year, with the recent college graduate displaying some polished post moves.
Langford down low: Emma Langford was a focal point in the post for the Thunder and will take on plenty of extra scoring responsibility this season.

Boomers into Final after Caps win
A Tess Madgen-inspired Bulleen Boomers outfit booked their place in the final of the WNBL Pre Season Tournament after a 70-60 win over a plucky Canberra Capitals.

BOXSCORE

Coming off a brilliant first-up performance, Madgen backed it up again with 20 points 5 rebounds and 4 steals to lead the Boomers, with Alice Kunek again impressive on her way to 16 points and 12 rebounds.

After leading early the Capitals could not resist the Bulleen charge despite the best efforts of Jess Bibby (16 points) and gun new recruit Samantha Norwood (12 points 11 rebounds).

The Boomers will now face Bendigo for the opportunity to win the WNBL Pre Season title.

What we learnt
Size does matter: The duo of Hollie Florence (nee Grima) and Emma MacDonald (nee Randall) may not have gelled as of yet, but the signs are there that the pair could be the best frontcourt in the WNBL.

Norwood sneaky effective: Samantha Norwood has back-to-back double-doubles, monstering the glass and getting inside buckets.

Lightning outgun Rangers
Adelaide Lightning has produced a convincing second half display to crush the Dandenong Rangers 91-64 at the WNBL Pre Season Tournament to finish the pool games 1-1.

BOXSCORE

Highly-coveted youngster Nadeen Payne showed exactly why so many clubs wanted her signature, finishing with a game-high 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Amy Lewis was again a scoring threat with 15 points.

The Lightning finished with six players in double figures, while Kathleen Macleod led the Rangers offense with 21 points on a forgettable 6-of-23 shooting.

What we learnt
What a Payne: Youngster Nadeen Payne gave us a glimpse of her immense talent and with Laura Hodges and Suzy Batkovic she will form a deadly frontcourt trio.

Blicavs a star in the making: Hard not to be impressive by this AIS product in action. Strong, athletic inside-outside player who is ready for the big stage.

Perera shoots Bendigo to Final
Chantella Perera put on a shooting clinic to book Bendigo Spirit a spot in the WNBL Pre Season Tournament Final against Bulleen Boomers after accounting for Sydney Uni Flames 75-61.

BOXSCORE

The former Bulleen guard was unstoppable, finishing with an amazing 30 points on 10-of-15 shooting to add to her 8 rebounds and 4 assists in arguably the performance of the tournament.

In a topsy-turvy contest Sydney held the early advantage before Bendigo, minus the injured Renae Camino, began to feed off the energy created by Perera.

Gabrielle Richards offered plenty of support with 16 points and 9 rebounds, while Alicia Poto (18 points) and Katie-Rae Ebzery (15 points) were the best for the Flames.

What we learnt
Perera in the spotlight: After limited court time with the Boomers last season, Perera could emerge from the shadows to be a scoring force in the WNBL this season with Bendigo.

Katie-Rae the go-to: The departure of Belinda Snell has created the need for a primary scorer for the Flames and Katie-Rae Ebzery shows signs she can be that player.