YESTERDAY
Season 2024 just keeps on giving! In one of the games of the year, the ANZCO Tokomanawa Queens stormed home with a 26-9 last quarter to take down top seeds, the ProBuild ITM Mainland Pouākai, and as a result the Queens are off to their third successive grand final.
Down by 16 points with 9 minutes to play, the Queens put on a defensive masterclass as they forced the Pouākai into a whopping 9 turnovers in the last quarter (21 for the game) and proceeded to take full advantage. Play after play the Queens did the mercurial with Stella Beck and Lou Brown in the thick of the action, while Jordan Horston, Jihyun Park and Florencia Chagas upped the tempo to capitalise at the offensive end.
Brown's 16 rebounds were pivotal, of which 12 were off the offensive glass. It was a monumental performance by the Australian forward.
A stunned home crowd were left to wonder what might have been as their team exited the finals with what was their equal lowest scoring quarter of the season. Talk about bad timing.
The Queens advance to the big dance with their best comeback of the season, a 21-point turnaround delivered a sharp boost of confidence with a second championship now up for grabs. One to go.
TODAY
The stakes are sky high today with The Northern Group Tauranga Whai on the cusp of a maidan grand final appearance, but first they must find a way past the 2023 champions, the BNZ Northern Kāhu.
It's been a whirlwind season for the Whai with a 1-5 start turning into a momentous 5-1 run to the finals as the team's much vaunted offensive power rose to the top. The Kāhu come in having lost four of their last six games, including their biggest ever Tauihi loss in the last game of the regular season (19 points to the Queens).
So many questions today ... Can the Whai be stopped from beyond the arc? Will the Whai contain the Kāhu's three-pronged weapon of Tupaea, Davidson and Thomas? Will Ashley Joens continue her scoring onslaught and rise to the top? Who will get the assignment on Iimar'I Thomas? Is the stage set for a Mikayla Cowling showstopper? Can the Kāhu stay focused? Who wins the battle of the coaches? What impact does Morgan Yaeger continue to have? Does the Whai have a plan B if the three-ball isn't dropping?
By day's end we will either have a third straight Queens-Kāhu grand final match-up on our hands, or we will see a fresh face on grand final day with the Whai championship dream rolling on.
And let's not forget the added advantage of a win today .... a home grand final!
TOMORROW
All eyes tomorrow will turn to next Sunday's final where the perfect Christmas present for one team will un-wrapped with glee. It's going to be a big build-up to the season decider.
We know the Queens will be there, a third successive grand final appearance has them arguably marked as Tauihi's best team across the competition's first three seasons. However, that argument will come to life if the Kāhu also make it through to their third straight final as well. What an epic clash that would be.
The other thing we know about tomorrow is the players from two teams will quickly disperse and head home - the Pouākai being one of them, and either the Kāhu or Whai will join them. Such is the nature of the new Tauihi competition window that a mad dash to the airport will be on for many players once their season is finished with a Christmas break beckoning and a chance to reunite with family and friends.
