Friday Fever

They’re one of the teams of the moment and right now, the hard work is paying off for Sarah Thomson and Caledonia Pride as they seek to lock down what had appeared an unlikely Play-Off berth for much of the campaign.

The shooting guard and her colleagues are on a roll and especially at home, which makes this weekend’s game against Sevenoaks Suns all the more appealing, since the visitors are also coming into the new month off the back of a brilliant March.

“Everyone is super excited for this game as Suns have really started to hit their stride and seem be getting better and better,” said Thomson.

“They are a great unit and read the game very well. It’s something which does make it difficult for us to prepare, but we know if we play as a team and stick to doing the things we are good at, then we are definitely in a good place to make another upset happen.

“The Play-Offs are definitely in our sights but we have to take advantage of the things that we can control and not worry about those uncontrollable factors. If we continue to play the way we are playing, I think we have a great chance of making the post-season.

So, what has changed to turn their rookie WBBL season around?

“To be honest we haven’t really changed much with regards to our training schedule and our game plan,” revealed Thomson.

“I really think that this year is about progress and hard work for us as a team and finally it is starting to show, by us getting some huge wins.

“As a group, we know we are putting in the work and we have gained many ‘wins’ from the beginning of the season, but now we have actually beaten some teams.

“Our home support and fans have also really been great and so have all the background staff at basketballscotland.

“We have such a strong following from our family and friends, but with all the social media promotions and the help of Edinburgh University, we have managed to tap into more people and get people talking about our team.

“I think it’s really important to mention as well that all our friends, family and fans know what we are about – a  team who is getting better each day and taking pride in the fact that we are improving and are also starting from scratch to help build the female game into something Scotland hasn’t seen before.”

Sevenoaks are making the most of their northern trip and are playing Team Northumbria at Sport Central on Sunday. Their opponents also have a double-header, with Chris Bunten and his Northumbria side travelling to Manchester Mystics tomorrow, who in turn will play Westfield Health Sheffield Hatters on Sunday.

The title race is certainly heating up heading into the final few games of the season, with Nottingham Wildcats edging closer to a successful title defence as they host Barking Abbey Crusaders tomorrow night.

Finally, Oaklands Wolves put in two hugely competitive games last weekend and came particularly close to taking that maiden league win. Their latest attempt to make history comes when they entertain Leicester on Sunday.