Molloy says his Boomers can handle post game
MELBOURNE Boomers coach Guy Molloy insists Elizabeth Cambage’s support cast is better equipped to handle Townsville’s elite post arsenal in the WNBL grand final series.
And the chess game between the two coaches will be vital as both teams look to adjust from playing a guard- oriented rival to a powerpacked line- up.
The Fire and Boomers adopt a similar style, with strong inside presences complemented by lethal perimeter shooters.
It’s why most are predicting a closely fought series and the battle of the whiteboards could be the decisive factor.
Melbourne upset minor premiers Perth in the semi- finals, a team heavily dependent on star guards Sami Whitcomb and Courtney Williams, while Townsville bested three point- heavy Sydney.
It will be a completely different story in the decider with the battle of the bigs, headlined by centres Cambage and Suzy Batkovic, tipped to be integral.
“It’s a huge adjustment, we spoke about it when we got back from Perth,” Molloy said.
“We’ve just completed a series against a team dominated by two very highly talented guards, to a team whose scoring is dominated by the front line.
“You have to shift your defensive focus to how they guard one to the other, but I’ve said all season stylistically Townsville is a lot closer to us.
“It cuts both ways, we’ve both come from playing a three- point shooting team to playing a power team, and both teams have to make adjustments.”
Molloy believes they no longer rely as heavily on Cambage to dominate after playing a few games without the Opals star this season.
“She was hurt ( groin strain) recently when we had an Adelaide-Perth road trip ( in late December). I shouldn’t have played her against Adelaide but we needed one more win to guarantee a playoff spot, then she missed the game against Perth,” Molloy said.
“( Bench post players) Lou Tomlinson and Ash Grant had to play a lot and that was really valuable for us, they got a lot of confidence out of it.”
The Boomers are looking to add to their maiden title in 2010- 11, which was spearheaded by Cambage and skipper Jenna O’Hea.
Both stars returned to the club this season and Molloy said they would rely on their big game experience against a Fire squad preparing for a fifth grand final in six years. The Boomers last played in a WNBL finals series in 2013- 14.