In the Centre: idol Batkovic still has it, but Perth Lynx proves too good

They say never meet your idols. Suzy Batkovic played her first WNBL game in 1996, at which point in time I think I had just about mastered toilet training. She is a legend of the game and the backbone of the Townsville Fire team, and on Sunday it was my sole purpose in life to get under her skin.

While Suzy proved that she’s still got it, scoring 23 points and 6 rebounds, Townsville couldn’t find an answer for our 22-year-old import Brittany McPhee, who with 32 points was integral piece in our 98-88 win over the Fire.

Point guard Lauren Mansfield returned to the court with a bang, with three assists in just seven minutes of court time, while 2017 all-star Asia Taylor dropped 21 points with ease.

While our team cohesion is moving from strength to strength, this week brings a new challenge with our first double header of the season.

We play the 2-0 Bendigo Spirit at home on Friday night, where we’ll be tasked with stopping veteran guard Nat Hurst and 195cm import Rebecca Tobin, before heading east to take on the Dandenong Rangers on Sunday.