Heat on Lightning to make a WNBL fixture switch again, as Canberra rolls in for a 42 high on Saturday

ADELAIDE Lightning is likely to return to Adelaide Arena for Saturday’s WNBL match against the winless Canberra Capitals if the temperatures continue to rise.

06/12/15 - Adelaide Lightning v Dandenong Rangers WNBL game at ADELAIDE ARENA. Dandenong's Amelia Todhunter and Annalise Pickrel and Adelaide's Leilani Mitchell battle for the ball. Photo Tom Huntley

ADELAIDE Lightning is likely to return to Adelaide Arena for Saturday’s WNBL match against the winless Canberra Capitals if the temperatures continue to rise.

The Lightning’s home base at “The Lighthouse” — the Wayville Sports Centre — is not airconditioned and both the league and Basketball SA, which administers the state’s top tier women’s team, have a policy of cancelling fixtures if the forecast is for 38 degrees or higher.

Saturday’s current forecast from the Bureau of Meteorology is for a 42 degree maximum, which would come on top of Friday’s 41, turning the Lighthouse into the Furnace.

BSA earlier this month moved a fixture to the airconditioned Arena when temperatures threatened to make Wayville close to unplayable.

Adelaide played and beat Dandenong Rangers 72-70 on a last-second lay-up by co-captain Leilani Mitchell on Sunday, December 6 at the state’s primary basketball venue.

“We will make a call on the Arena tomorrow (Wednesday) morning but we’re likely to move the game if it is more than 36 degrees,” BSA chief executive officer Mark Hubbard said on Tuesday night.

The Capitals hit Adelaide on a 13-game losing streak and lost 71-78 at home last month to the Lightning in the debut weekend of new import Kayla Standish.

Further in Adelaide’s favour is the fact Canberra first must play against the Lynx in Perth on Friday before travelling on Saturday to Adelaide ahead of the evening’s fixture.

The Caps have added import DeNesha Stallworth to their line-up after the impressive import fell out with SEQ Stars, who released her to secure Jordan Hooper.

With WNBA title-winning playmaker Renee Montgomery, burgeoning talent Steph Talbot, reigning league MVP Abby Bishop and Stallworth, Canberra has rebuilt its talent-base and should turn up the heat.

Originally published as Heat on Lightning to make a WNBL fixture switch again, as Canberra rolls in for a 42 high on Saturday