THERE are six women's SBL matches in Week 17 action with five of them pitting teams remaining in the playoff race up against one another.

There are just the two women's SBL matches on Friday night with the Mandurah Magic facing the Lakeside Lightning at Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre, and the Perry Lakes Hawks taking on the Willetton Tigers at the WA Basketball Centre.

Both matches tip-off at 6.30pm to get the weekend of SBL action underway.

The Magic and Lightning game should be an enthralling contest with Mandurah coming into the contest in sixth position with an 11-7 record, but having lost three of its last four matches while Lakeside sits pretty in second spot on 15-3 having now won five straight victories.

The two clubs already met this season back in Week 10 with Lakeside scoring a thumping 86-61 win on that occasion at Lakeside Recreation Centre.

The Hawks and Tigers currently sit outside of the top eight but Willetton can take over eighth position from the South West Slammers at least for 24 hours with a victory while Perry Lakes can keep its season alive by winning.

Willetton currently sits on a 6-11 record having won three of its last five matches while Perry Lakes is on 5-12 and on a four-game losing slide.

The Hawks and Tigers met earlier this season in Week 4 at Willetton Basketball Stadium with Willetton winning that contest emphatically 67-45.

There are then three matches on Saturday night with each of them beginning at 6pm.

The Joondalup Wolves play the Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers at Joondalup Basketball Stadium with the Schweigen East Perth Eagles take on the Perry Lakes Hawks at Morley Sport and Recreation Centre, and the Stirling Senators face the Soprano Lady Cougars at Warwick Leisure Centre.

The Wolves and Slammers are the last two women's SBL champions and they do battle in yet another crucial match on Saturday night.

Joondalup currently sits in third position in the standings with a 12-5 record but could easily slip to as low as sixth with a loss to South West at home on Saturday night.

The Slammers, meanwhile, are currently clinging to eighth position with a 7-12 record but could be out of the eight by the time this match tips off. However, a victory would go a long way to securing a playoff berth for the 2012 champions and 2013 semi finalists.

The two teams met back in Week 11 at Eaton Recreation Centre with the Slammers winning that contest 79-66.

Depending on whether or not the Hawks beat the Tigers on Friday or not, their clash against the Eagles could be the only one of the weekend featuring two teams who can't make the playoffs.

Perry Lakes must beat Willetton on Friday to keep its slim hopes alive while East Perth is well out of contention with a 2-17 record and having now lost 13 straight matches.

The Hawks and Eagles met earlier this season in Week 6 at the WA Basketball Centre with Perry Lakes winning comfortably 84-63.

The Senators are one of several teams locked in a battle over third spot on the table while the Cougars just need to guarantee a playoff berth altogether before focusing on trying to finish as high up as possible inside that top eight.

Stirling currently sits in fourth position with an 11-6 record while Cockburn is on 9-9 in seventh.

The Senators and Cougars played only recently too back in Week 15 with Stirling winning by just the six points on that occasion at Cockburn.

The round then concludes on Sunday afternoon with the Kalamunda Eastern Suns playing the Stirling Senators at Ray Owen Sports Centre at midday.

The Eastern Suns are the form women's team in the SBL having now won six straight matches to be in fifth spot with a 12-7 record, but closing in on the Wolves' third spot ahead of their clash at home to the Senators on Sunday.

Stirling will be coming off what is sure to be a tough match against Cockburn on Saturday night so the Suns will back themselves in to have too much run in their legs.

However, there is so much at stake for both teams with a win improving their hopes of finishing in third or fourth spot while a defeat could very well spell an end to those prospects.

The Suns and Senators played back in Week 4 at Warwick Leisure Centre with Stirling winning comfortably 75-55 on that occasion.

WEEK 17 WOMEN'S SBL FIXTURES
FRIDAY
Mandurah Magic v Lakeside Lightning, Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre 6.30pm
Perry Lakes Hawks v Willetton Tigers, WA Basketball Centre 6.30pm

SATURDAY
Joondalup Wolves v Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers, Joondalup Basketball Stadium 6pm
Schweigen East Perth Eagles v Perry Lakes Hawks, Morley Sport and Recreation Centre 6pm
Stirling Senators v Soprano Lady Cougars, Warwick Leisure Centre 6pm

SUNDAY
Kalamunda Eastern Suns v Stirling Senators, Ray Owen Sports Centre 12pm

Article by Chris Pike
Photo by June Halliday