Having a varied offensive attack and showing the defensive tenacity that she wants her team to become known for, there was plenty for Tasmania Jewels coach Claudia Brassard to like in Launceston but it's not perfect yet.
The Jewels started life in the WNBL with a stirring win at a sold out MyState Bank Arena beating the Geelong Venom before things were a little tougher a week later on the road with a loss to the Southside Melbourne Flyers.
They were then back in Tasmania on Saturday afternoon and this time it was at the Silverdome where the Jewels put in a tremendous four-quarter performance despite the absence of Madina Okot, Keely Froling and Taylor Mole for the 93-85 victory against the Sydney Flames.
In the process, the Jewels handed the Flames their first loss of the season with them coming into the game having won four straight and bringing with them some impressive momentum.
But the Jewels locked in defensively to hold Sydney to 85 points, which is much closer to the target Brassard would like to see her team giving up, and it was after some hard work put in after conceding an average of 90.5 points over the first two games.
"That's something that we've been focusing on after our first two games, giving up 90 points and it's really what we want to be known for with how we want to defend teams," Brassard said.
"So there was a little bit of self-reflection and individual accountability around the end to their concentration on their defensive matchups and getting some stops and I think we did a better job of that."
Even though Okot and Froling will give the Jewels even more of a threat on the inside and to throw the ball on the inside, Brassard does want her team to play in a way where they get the ball inside first and then either make a play down low, or then end up with getting the ball back outside.
Captain Darcee Garbin was important in helping that happen on Saturday even if eight of her 14 shot attempts ended up from the outside, but Ella Tofaeono was physically imposing too with 12 points and four rebounds on 6/8 shooting.
Then on the back of that, Steph Reid was able to hit 3/4 from the outside, Gianna Kneepkens 2/4 and Katie Deeble 2/4, and having those varied options on offence is something Brassard wants to continue.
"We pride ourselves on being really balanced and that's probably the way I like to coach to have post players that finish inside which then opens the game up for our guys on the outside," Brassard said.
"We think we have a really balanced team and we showed that tonight so it's a good balance between some inside post action and the number of guys coming off whether it was the second side getting close outs, coming off on balls or making plays.
"It's going to be a big part of our identity of how we are going to win games to have those different contributors across the board."
Brassard was excited to secure the signature of Steph Reid in the off-season because of everything she brings as a scorer, playmaker, composure with the ball and defence.
She showed all of that in the win against the Flames where not only did she have 17 points and six assists, but she set the tone defensively which helped the Jewels limit Lauren Nicholson and Jaz Shelley to a combined 14 points with six turnovers and 4/19 shooting.
"I thought she was brilliant and we struggled to take her off the floor," Brassard said.
"The way she led from the front was obvious and something that she prides herself on is her defence and that got her going.
"But offensively, she came up big for us in that fourth quarter and then hanging onto the ball when they were trying to up their pressure, and picking up full court, she was just really poised and calm out there.
"That really set the tone for us and then she knocked down some big free throws there at the end too."
Given the Jewels outrebounded their opponents in the first two games, Brassard wasn’t too concerned about that area coming into the game against the Flames, but she did become worried the longer the game went.
Sydney ended up outrebounding Tasmania 50 to 28 including having 17 offensive boards to seven for the game, but to still win despite that was a positive and it will now be a focus heading into this Saturday's match up in Adelaide against the Lightning.
"They got yelled at every play, and every huddle and every quarter-time break about being locked in on the boards, and we knew that they are a very good offensive rebounding team," Brassard said.
"There probably were more opportunities there for them, with some of the guys not hitting some of the threes that they might normally hit, but we definitely were not happy with giving up the 17 o-boards. But anyways, we managed to sneak away with it despite that."
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