Adelaide Lightning captain Leilani Mitchell stars with in thrilling win against Dandenong

HAVING won two WNBA games last season for Phoenix Mercury with buzzer-beating three-pointers, it’s only fitting captain Leilani Mitchell won a game for Lightning off a drive.

06/12/15 - Adelaide Lightning v Dandenong Rangers WNBL game at ADELAIDE ARENA. Adelaide's Leilani Mitchell takes the ball to the basket in front of Dandenong's Annalise Pickrel. Photo Tom Huntley

HAVING won two WNBA games last season for Phoenix Mercury with buzzer-beating three-pointers, it’s only fitting captain Leilani Mitchell won a game for Lightning off a drive.

Adelaide’s WNBL inspiration had to know Dandenong would defend her for the triple but with scores locked 70-70, a drive was the better option anyway.

“We set it up in the time-out,” Mitchell said.

“We went for the high pick-and-roll with the intention of trying to get to the basket to score or draw a foul.”

The match was relocated from Lightning’s home at the Lighthouse in Wayville to Adelaide Arena due to the heat and the crowd was alight as Mitchell counted down the game’s final 14 seconds before driving hard to her left.

The shot never looked like missing, the Rangers’ top four aspirations dented as Adelaide won back-to-back games for the first time this season.

After losing twice to the Flames, Adelaide went into Sydney on Friday and posted a massive 94-67 rout, Mitchell leading from the front with a career-high 30 points.

“We felt the last time we played Sydney in Sydney, we should have beaten them,” Mitchell said.

“They beat us by five but we went back with a lot of confidence and played really well together.

“We played great team defence and offensively, we had 20 assists.”

Mitchell led that category as well with seven gifts to grateful team-mates.

Back in Adelaide to face Dandenong, the Rangers came in off a morale-boosting win over title fancy Perth and led by as many as 17 points during the third quarter.

“I guess in the process of getting behind by 17, it felt a bit like earlier in the season,” Mitchell said.

“But we stayed positive, drawing on our experience from Friday night.

“All five players locked in and we got great contributions off the bench.”

The Lightning’s record has snuck up to 4-8, putting it within a win of Melbourne in seventh and with half the season to go, talk of finals might be a growing whisper.

“In the past few weeks, we’ve been quite close with the games we’ve lost and we’re slowly getting better and better,” Mitchell said.

“We’re focusing on defence and showing more patience offensively and not taking so many contested shots.”

It has made a big difference, SEQ is next on the schedule on Sunday.

Originally published as Adelaide Lightning captain Leilani Mitchell stars with in thrilling win against Dandenong