Following a loss against the Sydney Flames on Thursday night, the UC Capitals continue their three-game road trip in Bendigo to face the defending champion Spirit tomorrow night.
The Caps will be looking to find a way to snap their current three-game losing streak, which seems like a daunting task as they face the champs, but it’s also the perfect opportunity for the squad to turn things around and jumpstart the season.
It won’t be easy though – through the three-game losing streak, the Caps have shot the ball poorly and turned the ball over a lot. It has led to slow starts and big deficits, and while the team has shown resilience in battling back, the comebacks have ultimately fallen short.
Against the Flames, the Caps were stuck in mud for about 35 minutes, falling behind as much as 24 in the 4th quarter. But the team kept battling and made a game of it and even had chances to make it a one possession game inside the last two minutes before ultimately coming up short.
While it looks dire right now, there were a number of positives in that Sydney game and it does feel like a breakthrough is going to come sooner than later. For one, the Caps three-point volume (9/27) looked so much better and the way they played with pace and physicality in their fourth quarter rally is something that can be replicated moving forward.
Aside from 5 first half turnovers, Jade Melbourne also looked closer to the Jade we all know and love and it looks like she might be finding her rhythm with all the new additions. The Caps also did a great job on Loz Nicholson, holding the league’s second leading scorer and leading three-point shooter to only 12 points.
The Spirit meanwhile have picked up where they left off – starting the season strong winning against Geelong and Sydney after dropping their opener against the Fire. While they’ve lost a lot of firepower from last season with their guard trio of Veronica Burton, Sami Whitcomb, and Kelly Wilson all moving on, they’ve reloaded by adding rising star Issy Borlase, returning college star Olivia Pollerd, and Megan McConnell (who had a brief stint with the Phoenix Mercury this year). Their offensive attack remains lethal and Mariana Tolo and Kelsey Griffin continue to be the stabilizing veterans of the group.
Keys to the game
- Turnovers: Feel like we talk about this weekly but the formula is simple – when the Caps take care of the ball and get through sets, the team looks every bit the contender we believe they are. The team can’t afford to be careless against the Spirit as they have more than enough weapons to make the Caps pay.
- Three-point shooting: Entering the game against Sydney, the Caps were last in the league in three-point makes and attempts, which is probably not ideal given the number of talented shooters on the team. Against Sydney, the Caps shot 9/27 – while 33% is average, the volume is more along the lines of what the team probably needs. Sara Blicavs went 4/10 and we need her to keep taking and making threes to open up the offense.
- Handling physicality: The league has allowed for a lot more physicality this season and the Caps are still adjusting to it (as shown by the turnover numbers). Handle and match Bendigo’s physicality and the team will be in a good position to win.
Key matchup
Nyadiew Puoch v Isobel Borlase: These two young stars are both Atlanta Dream draftees and are looking to make the jump to the WNBA in the near future. Borlase has gotten off to a good start with the Spirit as a featured ball-handler and scorer. Nards has shown flashes of her versatility but is still finding her way with the new additions to the Caps roster. Like the Caps, Nards is due for a breakout performance soon and seems primed to do so in weekend’s clash against Bendigo.
UC Capitals v Bendigo Spirit
7pm Saturday 8 November
Red Energy Arena, Bendigo
ESPN, 9Go, 9Now
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