The Melbourne Baby Boomers rallied from a big deficit to defeat the Adelaide Lightning 68-60 in the 2023-24 WNBL season opener.
The Baby Boomers were missing a number of key players including Opal Christie Wallace (knee), Aimee Roach (concussion) and Mon Conti (AFLW). However, the girls showed great character to come back from a 14-point halftime deficit to stubbornly tie the game.
Penina Davidson was the leading scorer for the Baby Boomers with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. She was especially impressive in the third quarter, scoring seven straight points to help turn the tide for the Baby Boomers.
Sara Blicavs and Keely Froling also played well, scoring 12 and 10 points, respectively.Jordyn Canada started out flat, but she came alive in the second half with six points and eight assists.
Jocelyn Willoughby scored 14 points off the bench for the Lightning. Brianna Turner also played well, pulling down 15 rebounds and eight assists. However, the Lightning were unable to hold onto the lead and were eventually overtaken by the Baby Boomers in the second half.
Exhausted Baby Boomers
The Baby Boomers must find a way to get through at least the next month without Wallace, who suffered a knee injury in a WNBA game last September. Conti is one of the top five candidates for the MLB's Best and Fairest Award, but she won't be able to take the field for the Baby Boomers until next week when she completes her duties in Richmond. Roach suffered a concussion in practice this week and is currently being treated by the league. Her comeback date is uncertain.
Nice three-way pass
Basketball is a fun sport. Lightning junior guard Isabelle Bourne missed all three of her three-point attempts in the first half. Her first long-range shot came early in the third quarter - but she didn't even attempt it. The 22-year-old received the ball on the right wing and tried to pass it to Turner as she drove to the basket. As a result, the ball went in for a three-point play. The scoreboard doesn't say how you got them, just that you got them.
Clash of Colors
The first round of the WNBL was also an Aboriginal game, the first time the WNBL has partnered with the NBL to honor Aboriginal people. However, the Baby Boomers' Aboriginal jerseys had to be post-processed after it was discovered that the colors clashed with the Lightning's jerseys. The jerseys were delivered on Tuesday (the day before the game). The Baby Boomers will wear their Aboriginal-themed apparel on Saturday and in the Dec. 3 game against South Side.
