Week 14 WSBL Power Rankings
1. Southlands Boulevarde Willetton Tigers (1st place, 14-2 record) - Two weeks ago Willetton struggled to wins against Perth and Stirling, but there was no escaping this time as Lakeside caused the upset of the season. It was probably just a small blip on the radar, but suddenly a first placed finish doesn't seem so certain, especially if they lose to the Suns or Wolves.
2. Total Connections Perry Lakes Hawks (2nd, 13-3) - Last year's runner-up has flown under the radar for much of the season, but after beating Mandurah and Willetton's shock loss, suddenly they're just one game off first place. Despite the doubters, the Hawks are legitimate.
3. Mandurah Magic (3rd, 12-4) - Were in terrific form before losing to the Hawks and will be hoping to get back on track straight way. East Perth poses a potentially tough challenge though.
4. Glasscraft Wanneroo Wolves (4th, 11-5) - Coming off the bye, the Wolves have what should be an easy warm-up against the Flames before battling Willetton on Saturday. If Wanneroo plays to its best, an upset isn't out of the question.
5. Metropolis Fremantle Cockburn Cougars (5th, 10-6) - Were far from convincing against the Senators, but still did enough to win. Will need to perform better to beat the Eagles and Lightning though.
6. Australian Central East Perth Eagles (6th, 9-6) - It's a tough weekend coming up for the Eagles, who face Cockburn and Mandurah. If they can win one of the two, they'll have done well.
7. Kalamunda Eastern Suns (7th, 8-7) - Got an overdue victory as they comfortably beat the Flames on Friday and they need that to turn into some momentum. Saturday's game against a Willetton side desperate to bounce back will be tough though.
8. Lakeside Lightning (9th, 5-10) - The Lightning were all but written off by this column in recent weeks and clearly that was premature. Their shock win against Willetton has them right back in finals contention. Four of their final seven games are against teams ranked eighth or lower, including this week's crucial battle with the Redbacks.
9. Perth Redbacks (8th, 6-9) - Have been struggling for weeks but now they finally have a legitimate challenger in Lakeside. The Redbacks have a tough run to finish the season, so they must beat the Lightning on Friday.
10. Western Stainless Stirling Senators (10th, 5-12) - Fought hard against the Cougars but fell just short in a huge blow to their top eight hopes. It will be hard for them to make it from here.
11. Rockingham Flames (12th, 1-16) - Continue to fight hard but it's looking increasingly unlikely that the Flames will win this year. Will be hoping they can keep a respectable score against the Wolves on Friday.
12. Southwest Slammers (11th, 1-15) - If the Slammers are going to win again this season, this is probably the week. Perth may still be in the top eight, but have been inconsistent and the Slammers could upset them if they play to their best.
Article by Jacob Kagi
Photo by Marg Prior
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