The Tasmania Jewels will be boosted by Madina Okot fresh off playing in the WNBA Finals on Saturday with Mikaela Ruef celebrating game No. 150 as they attempt to win a first road WNBL game against the Adelaide Lightning.
The first three weeks of life in the WNBL for the Jewels have been full of firsts.
It started with a sold out home crowd at MyState Bank Arena for the first ever game and the result was a first up win against the Geelong Venom to start life in the WNBL.
Next up was a first ever road game and unfortunately for the Jewels, that resulted in a first ever defeat at the hands of the Southside Melbourne Flyers.
Then last Saturday it was the first ever game at the Silverdome for the Jewels and they won on their first attempt by handing the previously undefeated Sydney Flames a first loss of the WNBL season.
Now the Jewels will attempt to win their first away game on Saturday when they take on the Adelaide Lightning at the SA Basketball Centre with the game to tip-off at 3pm Tasmanian time.
The Jewels will be boosted with the inclusion of Madina Okot too with the imposing centre fresh off playing in the WNBA Finals at the Atlanta Dream.
Tasmania come into the game with a 2-1 record, while Adelaide are 1-3 but fresh off their first win of the season back on Sunday on the road to the Southside Melbourne Flyers.
The Lightning might have won just one of four games so far this WNBL season, but Jewels coach Claudia Brassard knows how tough they will be to overcome on their home floor and with a team featuring Steph Talbot, Shay Ciezki, Zitina Aokuso and Madeline Westbeld.
"I mean, they have a really good roster and they've got essentially four WNBA players, and the best Opals player," Brassard said.
"They're big as well and we pride ourselves on being one of the bigger teams in the competition, and they're probably the second biggest team, so we have to match that size and that physicality, and be ready for a battle.
"I think the record of 1-3 is not reflective of the talent on that team."
The Jewels will receive an immediate boost with the inclusion of Okot for Saturday's game after Game 7 of the WNBA Finals where she was playing for the Atlanta Dream only took place back on Sunday in San Francisco.
She will slot right into the five spot for Tasmania which will make captain Darcee Garbin even more lethal to play as the power forward having done so well holding down the five spot awaiting Okot's arrival, and with Keely Froling sidelined.
"Yeah, she's playing and we've got her on the team list. She just got cleared, which is great," Brassard said.
"It's a bit tough for her meeting a team on the road but we'll get a training with her on Saturday morning and I think she's raring a play.
"She didn’t play a whole lot in the Finals so she is just excited to be on the floor and I think for us, it just gives us a big body to match the team.
"Certainly once she gets her feet under the table and a little bit more familiar, she'll be the starting centre, and that pushes people out of rotations, and pushes Darcee to the four, which is her natural position and her better position.
"So I think for us it works really well. Obviously, we built this team around having her in it and our defensive identity probably relies on having that big shot blocker in the middle of the key as well.
"I think the expectations are low first up, if we can get 15, 20 minutes out of her we'd be happy and obviously she'll be tired and a little bit jet lagged.
"Thankfully, the Atlanta Dream have stepped up and provided a business class flight, so she'll be hopefully well rested when she gets there (to Adelaide)."
Jewels forward Ella Tofaeono has made a strong start to her time with Tasmania averaging 10.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 70 per cent field goal shooting so far while playing 22.3 minutes.
She's now looking forward to the chance to hit the road again as a group and try to get that first win in Adelaide on Saturday away from Tasmania.
"It's obviously fun on the road and everyone's still trying to get to know each other, and we're still navigating what works for us," Tofaeono said.
"It's awesome to be playing on our home court and there's a form of comfort there, but that'll be our challenge heading to Adelaide to be in a bit of a foreign environment.
"We're still trying to figure out how to play on the road so we are heading in full confidence, but still navigating our way better to figure some things out."
WNBL SEASON 2026/27 | ROUND 4
TASMANIA JEWELS v Adelaide Lightning
SA Basketball Centre (Adelaide), Saturday November 7, 3:00pm
Watch live on ESPN via Disney+, Foxtel, Kayo or Fetch
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