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DEFENCE will be a priority for Bendigo Spirit coach Simon Pritchard heading into Saturday's practice match against Melbourne Boomers.
The Spirit will be without star centre Gabe Richards and guard Heather Oliver, who have BFNL finals netball commitments with Golden Square and Sandhurst respectively, for the clash in Ballarat.
They will also be missing import point guard Blake Dietrick, who is not due to arrive in Bendigo until Sunday.
But new import Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe will make her Spirit debut alongside fellow recruits Nadeen Payne and Ashleigh Karaitiana.
Pritchard, who is entering his second year as coach, said Raincock-Ekunwe would be on restricted minutes against the Boomers after arriving earlier in the week.
She's been a little sore from training this week, so she won't play 30 minutes or anything like that," he said.
"I want to share the time on court around with all the girls.
"But my aim is to work on some things defensively."
The Boomers are expected to be close to full-strength for the game at the Ballarat Minerdome, with import Chante Black, fresh from an outstanding season in the SEABL with Bendigo Lady Braves, to make her debut.
Spirit development players Molly Mathews (quad) and Ebony Rolph (finger) also won't play, creating an opportunity for 16-year-old Bendigo Lady Braves guard Jessie Rennie to be included in the line-up.
Pritchard said he was excited to give Rennie the opportunity to play her first pre-season game for the Spirit.
"We will give her a taste of what WNBL basketball is like," he said
"We're really excited by that ... to have a Bendigo girl know what the standard is like, that will hopefully motivate her to play and train well over the next two to three years to get herself ready for it."
