Round one WSBL Power Rankings
1. Southlands Boulevarde Willetton Tigers (fourth, 1-0 record) - No Malpass, no Antonio, no Harper, no worries. The Tigers were never expected to be seriously challenged by Stirling, but a massive win was a great star to the season. They love what new recruits Cortney Hargraves and Lara Napier are providing.
2. Wanneroo Wolves (first, 2-0) - Two relatively comfortable wins against a pair of finalists from last year are a good indication the Wolves are a legitimate top two threat. Nikita Martin appears to have fitted in straight away and is a great addition.
3. Toll Ipec East Perth Eagles (ninth, 0-1) - It was an Eagles side weakened by the absence of Sam Norwood, but there is no excuse for losing to a team like Lakeside at home. They must bounce back in round two and prove they can win without Norwood.
4. Perth Redbacks (second, 2-0) - Two very good wins to start the season will have been a big confidence boost for the Redbacks. The revelation Rachel Watman will, at the very least, miss a significant chunk of the season is a huge blow to their championship hops though.
5. Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers (yet to play) - Months of hype will be put to the test when the Slammers take the court against East Perth on Friday. With no Norwood for the Eagles, South West is probably favourite.
6. Total Connections Perry Lakes Hawks (fifth, 1-0) - The Hawks are a little bit unlucky not to move up, in part due to the late re-signing of Tegan Walker, which came through just days before the start of the season. A decent win against the Magic was a good start.
7. Lakeside Lightning (third, 2-0) - Written off by many, Power Rankings included, Lakeside proved a giant contingent of people wrong with their two wins. Making the top eight will still be a big improvement, but in just a week the prospects have gone from highly unlikely to a decent chance.
8. Mandurah Magic (sixth, 0-1) - It's still hard to know what to make of the Magic after a narrow loss to Perry Lakes. They should cruise past Stirling, so it's likely to be a few weeks before we know how tough Mandurah can be without Casey Mihovilovich.
9. Rockingham Flames (seventh, 0-1) - Well, that was certainly disappointing. Kaye Tucker starred in her return but the Flames still loss to Lakeside. They'll be desperately hoping it was just first round nerves and they can gel together quickly.
10. Kalamunda Eastern Suns (eighth, 0-2) - Two narrow losses to top four contenders in round one certainly wasn't a bad effort. It's crucial they beat Lakeside on Friday though, because their schedule from rounds four to eight is brutal.
11. Cockburn Cougars (10th, 0-2) - Firstly, new import Stephanie Jones is good. Really really good. She averaged more than 25 points and 15 rebounds across the two games and appears to be one of the best players in the league. The Cougars did lose twice, but they at least showed they could compete.
12. Western Stainless Stirling Senators (11th, 0-1) - That was pretty brutal. Nobody would have expected the Senators to seriously challenge Willetton, but they'd have been confident of avoiding a 38 point loss. They must be more competitive at home against Mandurah on Saturday.
Article by Jacob Kagi
Photo by Darren Speedie (Vision Inspired Photography)
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