Lightning’s fatal mistake as Boomers ride Penina power

Adelaide Lightning learned the hard way, streaking out to a 20-6 lead on the opening night of the 2023-24 WNBL season before the depleted visitors gobbled them up in a thrilling 68-60 victory.

With Opal Kristy Wallace (knee) and recruits Aimee Rocci (concussion) and Mon Conti (AFLW) out, the Boomers only suited nine players, including development player Lilly Rotunno and injury replacement Sherrie Calleia, coach Chris Lucas was proud as punch of his team’s ability to fight back from a 14-point deficit and take out the win in enemy territory.

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“Really pleased with our group but it wasn’t pretty basketball and we know we’re a long way off but we’ve got a lot of character in this group and they’ll keep fighting,” Lucas said on the ESPN broadcast.

Despite slow starts from star recruits Sara Blicavs and Keely Froling and highly-rated import Jordin Canada (0-6 in the first half) allowed the Lightning an early advantage. Adelaide imports Jocelyn Willoughby (a team-high 14 points off the bench), Brianna Turner (15 rebounds, 8 assists) and captain Lauren Mansfield (9 points, all in the first half) made the most of it.

Down nine at the long break, the Boomers dialled up the defence and Canada and Blicavs (12 points) began to find their groove.

But it was a powerful Penina Davidson kind of night, her strength overpowering the Lightning as she pounded in seven straight Boomers points as part of a 25-13 third quarter that flipped the script and gave the visitors a three-point lead at the last change.

“She was terrific tonight … I’ve had her for three pre-seasons and this is clearly her best,” Lucas said of his matchwinning workhorse.

With four minutes to go in the game, emerging Lightning star Izzy Borlase’s tough finish wrenched the lead back but Blicavs, who had sat most of the last quarter with four fouls, splashed a three, then Canada sliced and diced her way to the cup with an athletic finish and the Boomers were on their way.

Davidson finished with a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double off the bench, while fellow Kiwi and good mate Tera Reid also had a double-double with 10-points and 10 boards in her Boomers debut.

Import Naz Hillmon kept Melbourne in the game early, doing most of her team-high 14-point damage in the first half.

Canada, the LA Sparks WNBA starlet, began her WNBL career with six points and eight dimes and looked more comfortable as the game went on, controlling proceedings late with her handles and pinpoint passing.

The Boomers smashed the Lightning on the offensive glass, 21-10, leading to 17 second-chance points to 7 — the key difference in the game.

DEPLETED BOOMERS

The Boomers will have to find a way to navigate at least the next month without Wallace, who injured her knee in September while playing in the WNBA and was forced to have surgery.

During Indiana Fever’s September 4 clash with Dallas Wings, Wallace rose for a free throw line jumper and immediately limped away on landing before being helped to the locker-room in distress.

Wallace, an All WNBL First Teamer who averaged 15.8 points (seventh) and 5.5 assists (fourth) last season, has twice torn her ACL in the same knee and the Boomers will take an ultra-cautious approach to her return.

“Wally, we’re just going to take our time until she’s right, It’s a big year for her,” Lucas said.

Such is the reality of signing a dual-sport star, Conti, who is among the top-five chances for the AFLW best and fairest award, won’t be available for the Boomers until next week after she completes her duties with Richmond, which takes on Collingwood on Sunday in the last round of the season.

Rocci was concussed in a training mishap during the week and has entered the league’s protocols. Her return date is unclear as she will need to pass several checks to be passed fit to play.

NICE PASS FOR THREE

Basketball’s a funny game. Lightning young gun Isabelle Bourne came up empty on all three of her three-point attempts in the first half. Her first make from deep came early in the third quarter — and she wasn’t even trying. The 22-year-old caught the ball on the right wing and tried to throw a lob pass to Turner as she sprinted to the hoop. Instead, the ball banked in for three. It doesn’t say how you got them on the box score, just that you got them.

COLOUR CLASH

Round 1 doubled as Indigenous Round for the WNBL, which has, for the first time, partnered with the NBL in honouring First Nations people. But a late call had to be made on the Boomers’ Indigenous jersey after a colour clash with the Lightning’s kit was discovered. The uniforms only arrived on Tuesday, the day before the game. The Boomers will wear their Indigenous themed threads against Southside on Saturday and again on December 3.

Basketball journalist

Michael Randall is a basketball reporter for the Herald Sun and CODE Sports, covering the NBL, WNBL, NBA and Australian senior and junior international and representative teams…. Read more

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