The top four teams in the women’s State Basketball League will face off against in other in week nine action starting Friday night.

The third placed Lakeside Lightning will host the fourth placed Perth Redbacks on Friday night and the first placed Wanneroo Wolves will host the second placed South West Slammers on Saturday.

All four teams will be looking to gain an early edge in potential head-to-head tie breakers with very almost nothing separating them as the halfway mark approaches.

The Lightning bounced back from their first loss of the season to defeat Mandurah Magic last weekend however the Redbacks pose a much bigger threat.

The Slammers welcomed new import Kim Sitzman into the line-up last weekend and they will be hoping her solid debut will be repeated against the strong Wolves team in one of their biggest challenges yet.

The Willetton Tigers will also be hoping for a big weekend after dropping their third game of the season last weekend.

The Tigers play the struggling Mandurah Magic on Friday night and then visit Perth in their second game of the weekend in a game that could see them potentially jump back into the top four.

The East Perth Eagles have dropped four of their past five games and will be hoping to get things back on track when they host the Cockburn Cougars on Saturday night.

The Cougars have had a tough start to the season but last weekend enjoyed their first win of the season against the more fancied Stirling Senators and will be hoping to take that form to Morley.

In another big game the sixth placed Kalamunda Eastern Suns will host the seventh placed Rockingham Flames.

Kalamunda are on a four game winning streak and are arguably the form team in the competition, however Rockingham will be a tough test

The Flames have won three of their past five games and import Emma Cannon, who is averaging 25.8 points and 14.7 rebounds, will pose a headache for the Suns defensively.

Photo by Helen Theoharakis (Hoop Shots)