Every week, ESPN's Megan Hustwaite brings together news stories that have caught her eye across the WNBL.
BRONDELLO ON BOARD THE SWAIN TRAIN
Olympic bronze-medal winning coach Sandy Brondello has heaped praise on one of the league's hottest shooters.
Brondello was courtside in Sydney on Saturday night as Shaneice Swain drained seven triples in her WNBL Player of the Round performance, which saw her shoot at 61 per cent from the field and also included five steals and five assists.
Swain is third in the league for average points (18.5) and has connected on 24 triples from 57 attempts so far this season.
The WNBA coach, who guided New York Liberty to their first-ever title in October, has previously selected Swain in national squads but said the 21-year-old had shown obvious improvement and offered the national program a different dynamic.
"I loved her game, she's got a flair about her," Brondello told ESPN.
"She's recovered from a stress fracture she had last year, a navicular which I've had too. Being the Opals coach, you're always thinking what needs to be added. Swain is a little different to what we've had so it's about seeing her up close and personal and I was really impressed.
"They were trying to trap her early and she handle that quite well, I thought she read the game well, she backed herself and her ability to shoot, and the ball was going in the hole - I thought she did a lot of great things.
"I knew she could score but defensively, that was a part of her game I thought she needed to grow, that was my last evaluation of her, and I think she has.
"She anticipates well, is competing way harder and she's still very young. The best is in front of her if she stays the course, continues to work hard and surround herself with good people."
Brondello is on the Gold Coast this week at the Foot Locker Australian School Championships scouting young talent and watching her 17-year-old son Brody play for Victoria's Templestowe College.
Brody has moved from the US to pursue his basketball at the college where its program is led by former NBL coach Ian Stacker and dual Olympian Allison Tranquilli.
OUT - WEDDING
Alex Ciabattoni will miss Perth's away game against Sydney on Saturday as she weds long-time partner James in Adelaide.
The 2016 Rookie of the Year booked the date and venue two years ago when she was pregnant with son Elijah and at the time didn't anticipate she'd return to the WNBL.
"As female athletes we have to play all-year round so availability, for big life events, is limited and I really didn't want a winter wedding so my options were slim," she said.
Ciabattoni had her hen's day in her home state of South Australia last Saturday then flew to Melbourne to play in a midday fixture against Southside on Sunday where she had eight points, five rebounds and five assists in the Lynx's fifth straight win.
In the off-season, Perth made a fixture request to not play on December 7 so the Lynx could attend the nuptials but there was no 'I Do' from the league and they were left at the altar.
STARS RETURN, MORE SIDELINED
It was a good day on Saturday when Kelsey Griffin better known as KG23 returned for the Spirit in their Round 5 clash with Bendigo.
Sidelined with a broken finger to begin the season, the four-time champion came off the bench and had 11 points, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block as the Spirit continued their unbeaten start to #WNBL25.
In good news for second-on-the-ladder Perth Lynx, Olympian Amy Atwell is expected to return in a highly-anticipated showdown with the Spirit in Perth on Thursday night.
A knee niggle has kept Atwell out of the first five rounds.
Southside will hope to regain Alice Kunek (calf) for Friday night's home game against Adelaide Lightning while Carley Ernst (back) will miss at least another round of action.
THREE POINTERS with Adelaide Lightning's Brooke Basham
*I've enjoyed more opportunity so far this season and that's something I've put my full attention and focus on over the last six years while being in the Lightning program - becoming a valuable asset to the team, trying to perfect my role and whatever is needed of me on the night and having my coaching staff and team mates trust me enough to play significant minutes.
*My former team mate Lauren Mansfield and I have created a business together called Complete Athlete Project. Before CAP, I was only concerned with myself, my career and defined myself by how I performed. Now, my focus is the impact we can make on female athletes' live. Working with Loz, we didn't know what we were getting ourselves into but discovered the one constant was our shared vision, goals and aspirations and an amazing friendship derived from challenging one another.
*The player I love going against most is Steph Talbot. Even though she's on my team, she challenges me in ways I've never experienced. She's smart, athletic, skilled and her motor doesn't stop and she forces me to go to new levels on both ends of the floor