KEY MATCH-UPS
Lauren Nicholson v Britt Smart
LAUREN Nicholson will need to be smart s when she comes up against the wily Caps C veteran Britt Smart.
At 37, the Ohio-born guard is one of the th oldest players in the WNBL and proved pr last year that she still has more than enough enou talent to keep her spot in the team, averaging 10.8 points per game. ame. If anyone can stop Smart defesively it will be Nicholson. The 29-year-old Fire guard picked up p the WNBL Defensive Player of the Year r in 2019 while she was at the Adelaide e Lightning. Whichever player gets the better in this his matchup will be a deciding factor in the game. ame.
Stephanie Step Reid v Jade Melbourne EARLIER this year Jade Melbourne was sensationally drafted by the Seattle Storm at 33rd overall in the 2022 WNBA draft. d
Melbourne, who recently turned 20, is one on of the most promising youngsters in the league, l and she will be looking to impress in her final fina season before shipping hipping off to America. The Caps star likes to push the ball and nd play up-tempo, and it will be Steph Reid’s s responsibility to slow her down as much h as possible. As the Fire’s shortest player, Reid will ll need to bring the defensive tenacity and nd enthusiasm that she’s known for.
Ziti
Listed at 196cm, UC Caps centre Alex Bunton is one of the tallest ‘bigs’ in the league.
She’s not just a physical presence either e – last season Bunton led the Caps in field fie goal average, shooting at 53% from the floor. f It’s a dangerous d combination ination that will need to be managed well by the Fire. The first to be tasked with stopping her er will most likely be Zitina Aokuso, who at t 194cm is the Fire’s tallest player. Aokuso has shown incredible promise e in her career, but she will have to be at her r best to contain the former Australia Opals als silver-medallist Bunton.