Prve kolo semifinale play-off, po zakladnej casti postupili do semifinale 4 najlepsie muzstva a hra sa na dva vitazne zapasy. Vyhodu domaceho prostredia v pripadnom rozhodujucom tretom zapase ma v tejto dvojicke Perth, ktory vyhral zakladnu cast.
Perth ma najlepsi team co sa tyka uspesnosti strelby z perimetra (zvonku), po zakladnej casti maju v prvej 5ke naj strelkyn dvojicu americaniek, na druhom mieste rozohravacku C.Williams s priemerom 21.7bodu a na piatom mieste kapitanku S.Whitcomb s priemerom 17 bodov na zapas. Co viac tieto dve su aj v TOP 5 ziskanych lopt (steals), Whitcomb prva, Williams stvrta.

Melbourne je jeden z naj pokosovych teamov a tym je prisposobena aj ich hra, vacsinu utokov zakoncuju z pod kosa na rozdiel od Perthu (perimeter), kedze v teame maju naj
strelkynu sutaze po zakladnej casti pivotku Liz Cambage. V tejto sezone sa na domacom ihrisku Melbourne stretol proti Perthu 2x,
v prvom zapase Melbourne zdolal Perth po predlzeni 79:77, Cambage 23bodov a 23 doskokov, vtedy pod kosom nehrala nahradna pivotka Tomlison, za Perth spominana dvojica Williams (20b+5doskokov) a kapitanka Whitcomb 18b a 10 doskokov.
V druhom zapase doma Melbourne podlahol Perthu 89:92, Cambage 38bodov, 17doskokov a bolo na nu 11
faulov, dvojica Perthu Williams a Whitcomb (26 resp. 28 bodov).
Posledny vzajomny (treti tuto sezonu) na ihrisku Perthu skoncil jednoznacnym vitazstvom Perthu kedze za Melbourne nehrala
Cambage.
Tieto vzajomne som spomenul len kvoli tomu aby bol prehlad o tom na akej hre a hrackach jednotlive muzstva stoja, u Melbourne silny podkos v podobe Cambage (203cm), u Perthu 2 hracky perimetra s vybornou strelbou, na rozohravke Williams a kapitanka Whitcomb. Perth nema na centri nikoho kto by mohol Liz Cambage ubranit, na pivote resp. centri maju ako startera amicku Dowe (193cm) a backup Burton (194cm) ktore su vyskovo na tom ako backup center Tomlison (193cm) v drese Melbourne a maju o 10 cm menej ako hviezdna Cambage, ta podkosova prevaha bola v zapasoch Melbourne proti Perthu jednoznacna.

Co sa Perthu tyka, spominal som ze maju najsilnejsi perimeter v lige (Williams + Whitcomb), suverenne vyhrali zakladnu cast ale v poslednych dvoch ligovych zapasoch prehrali, spomeniem najma ich predposledny ligovy zapas v Canberre kde Williams a Whitcomb hrali takmer 35 minut a spolu dali 39 bodov (t.j. ziadne setrenie na play-off) a Perth aj napriek tomu v Canberrre prehral 69:74. Perthu sa v tomto zapase zranila na centri amicka Dowe,
po piatich minutach odisla z palubovky, v poslednom zapase sezony v Townsville nehrala ale na prvy zapas v Melbourne
bude podla vsetkeho fit.

V poslednom ligovom zapase hral Perth v Townsville, kde prehrali jednoznacne 51:83, hrali bez spominanej Dowe na centri + po siedmich minutach z palubovky odisla druha naj strelkyna teamu, spominana kapitanka Whitcomb, zranila si zapastie na pravej ruke ktorou striela avsak podozrenie na zlomeninu sa neskor vylucilo a
o tom ci nastupi v Melbourne sa rozhodne v najblizsich dnoch resp.hodinach po zatazovych testoch jej zapastia.

https://thewest.com.au/sport/basketball/relief-at-perth-lynx-as-sami-whitcomb-dodges-big-injury-ahead-of-wnbl-semifinals-ng-b88702767z
https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/basketball/lynx-and-boomers-to-kick-off-wnbl-semis-ng-s-1814804
http://www.watoday.com.au/sport/basketball/wnbl-semis-locked-in-as-melbourne-boomers-look-for-solutions-to-perth-lynx-shooters-20171231-h0bs4f.html

"The Perth Lynx feel like they have dodged a bullet on the eve of the play-offs after co-captain Sami Whitcomb
was cleared of structural damage to her right wrist on Sunday night. But Whitcomb and import Amanda Dowe (knee)
are still facing a race to be fit for Wednesday’s semifinal against Melbourne in Victoria.
Whitcomb crashed to the floor during the second quarter against Townsville and immediately
left the court in agony. She was taken to a Townsville hospital amid fears she had broken
her right wrist, but scans showed she had only bone bruising and a sprain.
The injury is to Whitcomb’s shooting hand, but coach Andy Stewart said the decision to travel
with a full-time physio had given her every chance to recover.
“We need to work with her over the next couple of days to see if she can play,” Stewart said.
“Her strength is her shooting so we still have to do testing
to see if she can catch and shoot the ball. But we feel like we’ve dodged a bullet.”

V zapase v Townsville potom neskor po zraneni Whitcomb boli z palubovky stiahnute aj naj strelkyna Williams a Kunek aby sa predislo dalsim zraneniam pred play-off.
Preto ta jednoznacna prehra, pretoze ten team Perthu stoji prave na tychto troch hrackach, po ich odchode to uz nebol
konkurencie schopny team.

Takze Perth takmer celu sezonu odohral bez vaznych zraneni, ale pre prvy play-off zapas v Melbourne maju otaznu druhu naj strelkynu kapitanku Whitcomb, pravdepodobne nastupi kedze zlomenina zapastia sa nepotvrdila avsak ide o zranenie pravej ruky ktorou striela a minimalne limitovana bude.
Na centri laboruje so zranenym kolenom amicka Dowe, ta tiez s najvacsou pravdepodobnostou bude pretoze inac by pod kosom Perth nemal ziadnu zbran proti famoznej Cambage.

Co viac Perth mal posledne zapasy zakladnej casti na superovych ihriskach a nalietali toho celkom dost, po zapase v Townsville neleteli domov do Perthu ale priamo do Melbourne a pripravovat sa budu tam, to znamena prakticky cely tyzden prec z domu.

"The Lynx played in Canberra on Thursday night and Townsville on Sunday, as they finished their regular season with a road double. They will fly straight to Melbourne to prepare for game one,
meaning a whole week away from home."

"Melbourne will be fresh after beating Dandenong in Victoria during their only game for the round on Saturday. In contrast, the Lynx played two matches in separate States and will enter the finals having endured six flights around the country."


Melbourne Boomers ma k dispozicii plny kader, posledne dva ligove zapasy setrili rozohravacku Bec (Rebecca) Cole, ktora je vsak pripravena hrat hned v prvom zapase play-off

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/basketball/melbourne-boomers-run-confidently-into-wnbl-semi-finals-with-win-over-dandenong-rangers-20171230-h0bnjo.html

"Melbourne's only question mark is around point guard Bec Cole who sat out her second straight game with knee soreness but she is expected to play Wednesday. In her absence, import guard Brittany Smart showed she can handle the lead role scoring 18 points and snatching three steals against the Dandenong Rangers."

V kadri je spominana naj strelkyna sutaze a leaderka co sa doskokov tyka Liz Cambage, v asistenciach vedie team
skusena hracka repre Opals, Jenna O`Hea, 2x WNBL All Star s bohatymi skusenostami z americkej WNBA, zakladnu patku potom doplnaju repre hracka Noveho zelandu, Kalani Purcell a Maddie Garrick ktora je taktiez ako O´Hea 2x vitazkou australskej WNBL a asistentkou kapitanky O´Hea.

na jednej strane Melbourne s plnym rosterom, co viac oddychnutym (Cambage na predposledny zapas sezony - dlhy let do Perthu ani neletela, posledny zapas sezony doma proti Dandenongu uz hrala, rozohravacka Cole bola posledne dva zapasy setrena aby bola fit na domaci zapas proti Perthu).
na druhej strane Perth, kde team je uz tyzden na cestach + ma otaznu druhu naj strelkynu&kapitanku ktora si zranila zapastie pravej ruky v poslednom ligovom zapase.

Pre mna urcite Melbourne vacsi favorit ako ukazuju kurzy, moj fair 1.6, hraju doma len jeden zapas z pripadnych troch a
kedze v Perthe sa nehra lahko, tak pripadna domaca prehra by znamenala pre Melbourne prakticky koniec sezony.
Pred sezonou bol Melbourne pasovany za naj kandidata na titul

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/swoop/wnbl-201718-teams-to-watch-fear-and-players-to-cheer/news-story/35351b9e8d80759bdf61d35d69daee2b

"On paper the strongest team in the competition."