Every week, ESPN's Megan Hustwaite brings together news stories that have caught her eye across the WNBL.
FINALS FOR 'GOBSMACKING' FLAMES
Sydney coach Guy Molloy says he is gobsmacked his depleted Flames have secured fourth spot and a return to finals for the first time since 2018-19.
With Mikaela Ruef and Emma Clarke already sidelined with season-ending knee injuries, the Flames lost captain and triple Olympian Cayla George (foot) and NZ national McKenna Dale (finger) before Sunday's clash with Canberra.
Thirty-year-old rookie Isa Brancatisano -- with a career-high 26 points, including eight triples, and a sublime performance against Olympian Jade Melbourne -- stepped up as Sydney prevailed, 86-71, and confirmed their post-season status with two games to play.
"It's been horrendous, the worst I've ever dealt with," Molloy said of Sydney's injury crisis.
"We were hanging on in fourth spot, teams with better talent kept losing and we just kept fighting away, getting a win here and there to hang on to the spot and then to nail it - I'm just gobsmacked, I really am.
"Given everything that's happened, all the players we've lost, that's the biggest win I can recall for a long, long time. Very special.
"I just feel great for the club and the group. We've taken some beatings this year as well and then to lose effectively every post player of any description."
Molloy, in his fourth stint in the league, will coach in his 11th finals campaign in a fortnight's time.
He made his debut with Canberra in 1989 then after time away returned to the league in 1993 where he took the Breakers to finals in all five seasons. Time in the NBL followed with Molloy taking the reins of the Melbourne Boomers in 2013-14, guiding the club to its second-ever championship in 2021-22.
After another break, where he continued to head coach New Zealand Tall Ferns, Molloy was appointed coach of Sydney for 2023-24.
"I just feel great for the club, they've endured so much on and off the court," he said.
"They had the faith in recruiting me and creating a vision for the club to build what had been built at Melbourne Boomers to take them to the top and I said it was never going to be a fast process, when you haven't been in finals for this long you can't just throw money at a problem.
"You've got to rebuild every pillar of it."
LYNX NEGOTIATE 'NIGHTMARE' SCHEDULE
Like any seasoned traveller, Perth is meticulously prepared for its biggest, and what could be the most defining, week of their campaign.
The second-placed Lynx fly to Townsville at 6am this Saturday and on Sunday afternoon battle the Fire for second place and home-court advantage in a best-of-three semifinals series the teams will contest for a third straight season.
On Monday morning, Perth will travel to Melbourne for the league awards night before returning to Perth and either stay home ahead of hosting Game 1 or make the long-haul trek back to North Queensland for the Sunday February 23 fixture.
Game 2, whether in Townsville or Perth, is slated for Thursday February 27.
"We'll treat it somewhat normally, we've tried to rest our team as much as we can the last two or three weeks knowing it's a nightmare and knowing we'll play Townsville potentially four times in a row," coach Ryan Petrik said.
"It's trying to get everything in before we play them the first time because clearly once the awards week comes around and all the travel comes around it's hard to start put something in or start tweaking stuff mid-series."
Alex Ciabatonni was managed, sitting out Saturday night's win over Geelong while a comprehensive lead allowed Petrik to give Ally Wilson a spell in the fourth quarter.
KUNEK FLIES THE COUP
The WNBL's newest life member Alice Kunek will miss the final game of the regular season against Sydney this weekend as she pursues a short-term contract overseas.
With Southside set to finish bottom of the ladder, the 34-year-old forward, who has played extensively through France, Poland and Hungary, was in hot demand abroad and is set to suit up for her new, finals-bound team on February 18.
Kunek achieved her 250th WNBL game in Round 14 against Bendigo and finishes her first campaign with the Flyers having averaged 14.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
Guard Tayah Burrows will also miss Saturday's game in Sydney as she undergoes foot surgery.
Three Pointers with Adelaide Lightning's Georgia Pineau
1: This has been my third stint in the WNBL. Each one has been so different and I've had a unique role in each one. The league is incredibly competitive with so much talent across the board. It's been really rewarding to be part of something that continues to grow and get better every year.
2: I work full time for Deloitte in the Tech Strategy and Transformation team and they've been incredibly supportive in accommodating my busy schedule. Balancing work and basketball is definitely challenging, wearing a few different hats can be a lot, but I have a great support system that helps make it all work. I'm really grateful to have a career outside of sport, it gives me a sense of stability and perspective beyond basketball.
3: It's been such a special week for my brother Dane, announcing his retirement from NBL. He's such a great person and I know he's felt so much love from across the basketball world. It's been emotional but also a moment to celebrate everything he's achieved. I'm so proud of him and excited to see what's next.