Three teams put their unblemished record on the line in week three of the MissQuote.ie Super League, as DCU Mercy sit back and enjoy a bye.
SETU Waterford Wildcats have lived up to their preseason promise by averaging almost 90 points per game in wins over The Address UCC Glanmire and Trinity Meteors. Several stars have impressed, none more so than sisters Sarah and Kate Hickey, who will be hoping to continue that form with Ireland head coach James Weldon naming his squad for the forthcoming FIBA Women’s EuroBasket qualifying window in the coming weeks.
Their opponents Pyrobel Killester picked up a first win of the season last time out over Catalyst Fr.Mathews. The Clontarf outfit only managed to win back-to-back games twice during the last MissQuote.ie Super League season so consistency will be an important message for head coach Mark Grennell as they look to make home advantage count. Claire Melia has settled into life in orange and black well. The Irish international currently leads the league in total rebounds and assists.
It's been a dream start offensively for Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell. Kyaja Williams and Edel Thornton appear to click as a scoring duo, while others such as Danielle O’Leary and Lauryn Homan are chipping in with points and boards in key moments. Stopping that offensive potency could prove difficult for Portlaoise Panthers even on home court. They’ll need to find more pieces to compliment Jessica Fressle and Alyssa Velles, who accounted for 68% of their offense during an opening day loss to Ulster University.
Trinity Meteors have had a challenging start under head coach Hillary Netsiyanwa. A very young team learning on the job, with a difficult opening schedule was always going to be a challenge. It doesn’t get any easier this week, making the short trip to face FloMAX Liffey Celtics. The Kildare team highlighted the potential of this offense with a 36-point opening quarter in week one. Another performance like that and it might be a long night for the visitors.
The Address UCC Glanmire are in unfamiliar territory for many players. Entering a game on the back of a defeat only occurred twice last season and Catalyst Fr.Mathews aren’t going to give Mark Scannell’s side anything easy at Fr.Mathews Arena, where the margin was only three points when they last locked horns. Ariel Johnson proved the most potent offensive weapon for Pat Price in their defeat to Pyrobel Killester. Johnson had 27 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, showcasing her potential.
Ulster University have shown plenty of promise through two games. Staying in the game all the way to the buzzer against last season’s MissQuote.ie Super League runners-up DCU Mercy shouldn’t dent their confidence and another 21-point haul from the returning Abigail Rafferty would be the perfect tonic for success against University of Galway Mystics. Defense will have been a of emphasis for Paul O’Brien in practice this week. They lead the league in points allowed despite facing two top teams in the opening weeks.
