Flames prove too hot for Flyers

The Sydney Flames have extended their lead atop the WNBL ladder, shaking off a slow start to post a clinical 86-69 victory over the Southside Melbourne Flyers in their WNBL clash.

Flames guard Jaz Shelley top-scored with 22 points, including 6-of-9 three-pointers, at Sydney's Afterpay Arena on Sunday, after Lauren Nicholson laid the foundation, with 16 of her 18 points coming in the first half.

Hannah Hank paired 21 points with nine rebounds and Tess Heal added 16 points for the Flyers, who started strongly, before falling away in the second quarter in which they were trounced 29-13.

"I felt we did a good job with switching ... our ball pressure was super high," Sydney coach Renae Garlepp said.

"For us, the more ball pressure and the more we could use our length defensively, the better we did."

The Flames were sluggish early, falling behind 16-9, before calling a momentum-shifting time-out midway through the opening quarter and changing up their defensive style.

The Flyers coughed up seven turnovers in the last five minutes of the term, which Sydney finished with the last nine points to move ahead 21-18 at the opening break.

Another turnover early in the second quarter - Wang Siyu's fourth - made it a 14-0 run as the Flames powered from strength to strength.

Nicholson and Shelley spearheaded another 15-1 surge as the gap blew out to 48-28, with Southside conceding a whopping 14 turnovers by halftime.

The Flyers rallied in the third term, slashing the margin to 58-48 when import Unique Thompson - making her debut for Southside against her old team - buried a three.

But the visitors had no answer for Shelley, who drilled three threes for the term, single-handedly keeping Sydney in the box seat, up 63-49 at three-quarter time.

Shelley continued her hot streak, starting the fourth period with her fourth second-half triple without a miss to press home the Flames' advantage.

"A bit of self-infliction went on there," Southside coach Sam Mackinnon said after his side dished up 20 turnovers. "It was definitely self-inflicted.

"You know they're going to pick up the full-court pressure.

"But we started the game well - I can't fault our values."