Friday Fever

If Westfield Health Sheffield Hatters want to lift silverware this season, then they will have to do it the hard way.

Former Great Britain star Steph Gandy was a driving force behind her team’s exciting Play-Off Quarter-Finals success at Manchester Mystics last weekend and things don’t get any easier as Hatters now look forward to hitting the road again for their Semi-Finals clash with Nottingham Wildcats tomorrow night.

“Last week’s game against Mystics had a great buzz about and I think it was because it was literally a full day of basketball with our younger girls teams playing – so we had a massive fan support in that respect,” smiled Gandy, as she reflected on a sweet day for Hatters in what has been a bumpy campaign.

“The game itself came down to who really wanted it the most and my team showed a lot of grit and courage. A lot of people finally stepped up after an up and down season.

“That game showed signs of the old Hatters team, with the hustle, communication, and hard work. Knocking down timely shots helped as well – especially when the shot clock was running down and we had some big three-pointers chucked at the basket that went in for us down the stretch.

“All in all, it was a great team effort.”

She continued: “The game with Nottingham shouldn’t disappoint fans. It will be a slug-fest as usual, with an array of tough covers and especially the main two components in the shape of the league’s leading scorer in [Ashley] Harris and their veteran [Siobhan] Prior.

“At the same time, they have to contain us and try to stop a high-powered starting five, with each player able to score in a variety of ways. We also bring key elements off the bench, which we proved in some games this year to be a real difference-maker.

“It should be a great game, which I predict will come down to the final minutes as usual.

“I’m excited about our chances of making The O2 as it’s why we play and what our goal at the start of the year was – to make it to the capital and the last game of the season,” concluded Gandy.

Her sentiments were very much echoed by her team-mate Georgia Gayle who declared: “The win last weekend was a confidence boost for us heading into the Semi Finals after losing the previous weeks to Leicester and Barking.

“I have to credit Ellis [Clayton] for her continual efforts on the defensive end, she is one person you can rely on to play good D and get you stops.

“To win by a convincing margin of 15 also helped prove to ourselves that we are capable of being the top team again so we have to use this as motivation.

“It’s just the consistency to keep delivering that top performance that has been our issue throughout the season. We are still hungry for a piece of silverware, so The O2 is our goal.”

But who will join Wildcats or Hatters in London?

Well, you will be able to watch that question answered live on Leicester Riders’ Facebook page on Sunday at 12.45, when the hosts and WBBL Championship runners-up take on third seeds, Sevenoaks Suns.

Both clubs are searching for a spot in their second showpiece Final of the season after appearing in the climax of the WBBL Trophy at the Emirates in Glasgow. when Suns made history by scooping the coveted silverware.

And, more history will be made this weekend, since neither team has ever appeared in the WBBL Play-Off Final.