Whenever the Bendigo Bank Spirit plays Dandenong there are always great match-ups all over the court, but there’s one battle which could define Sunday’s second semi-final.
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The Spirit’s import Kelsey Griffin up against the Rangers’ Jenna O’Hea shapes as a key one-on-one duel – and Griffin knows it.
The Connecticut Sun forward is counting on help from her team-mates, with the Spirit renowned for smothering opposition stars.
“The great thing about my team is I know it’s not all on me; everyone’s let me know that,” Griffin said yesterday.
“That’s never how this team’s been – that’s not how they won before I was here, that’s not how we’ve won since I’ve been here.
“Although Jenna’s a great player I think what makes Dandenong such a tough team is the same reason that makes us so good and that is they go deep into their bench.
“Jenna’s a key part, but she’s not the only focus.”
The Spirit has conquered the Rangers in all three clashes this season, with Australian Opal O’Hea averaging 10.3 points compared to her 14.3 season average.
Bendigo’s defence can take credit for that, but the Spirit will be wary of O’Hea and a Dandenong team which can move through the gears from second to fifth in an instant.
“You can take so much confidence from beating a team three times, but you have to realise each time you beat a team it makes it harder the next time,” Griffin said.
But Griffin, who was ranked fourth in the WNBL with 16.3 points per game, is confident Bendigo can continue the form which saw it finish on top of the WNBL ladder with a 21-3 record.
“We’re at the top of the ladder, we’ve proven that we can be the best and we can compete with the best,” she said.
Tickets to Sunday’s game can be bought from the Bendigo Stadium box office at bendigostadium.com.au or by calling 5440 6200.
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