Opal Katie-Rae Ebzery hoping to light up for Flames in WNBL ahead of Rio Olympic Test event

OPAL Katie-Rae Ebzery has warned the Sydney Uni Flames must produce their best basketball of the season to topple Perth Lynx on Thursday - but she is also confident they can produce it.

31.07.2015 Pic: Ian Wilson Womens Basketball Australia Opals V Japan at Ballarat Japan won by one point Aus Katie Rae Ebzery

OPAL Katie-Rae Ebzery has warned the Sydney Uni Flames must produce their best basketball of the season to topple Perth Lynx on Thursday but she is also confident they can produce it.

The Flames have waited three long months for another shot at a rapidly improving Perth side who beat the Sydney side by 11 in their first game of the season.

But fast forward to round 13 and the two teams — along with Townsville — are level pegging at the top of the WNBL ladder.

The Flames, who missed out by a game on making the grand final last season, can break the top-of-the-table deadlock by avenging their first-up loss when the two sides clash again in Sydney.

“A fair bit has changed since they beat us in the first round,’’ said the Flames guard and captain.

“We know our personnel a little better, we have trust in ourselves and we are now sharing the top of the ladder,’’ she said. “There is more confidence in the team.

“But we will need to be at our best against them, playing our best basketball.

“It will be a great measure of where we are.’’

Katie-Rae Ebzery dribbles around Chevannah Paalvast at the Oceania Championship.

Ebzery is hoping she can bring her best not only to the match-up against Perth but also to the Opals next week at the Rio Olympic Test event.

Ebzery is attempting to shoulder herself into the Olympic mix with a strong performance for both the Flame sand in Rio.

“I just have to take every opportunity I get and run with it, make an impact,’’ she said.

Ebzery is currently the leagues fourth top pointscorer with 280 and fifth with her game average of 17.50. She is also third on the list of assists with 72 for the season.

Former coach now General Manager Karen Dalton said the Flames have plenty to gain by staying on top of the ladder throughout the final stanza of the WNBL.

“It comes with a real advantage come finals time, playing at home,’’ said Dalton who coached the club to their last WNBL title back in 2001.

“And we haven’t hosted a final for years.’’

After semi-finals and a preliminary final, the grand final of the WNVL will this season be decided by a best-of-three series.

Opals coach Brendan Joyce has named a WNBL based team to fly to Rio on January 10 for the Test event which concludes on the 17th.

The WNBL is having a bye week from January 15-17 to ensure no club is disadvantaged.

THURSDAY: Sydney Uni Flames v Perth Lynx at Bryden Stadium at 7pm.

Originally published as Opal Katie-Rae Ebzery hoping to light up for Flames in WNBL ahead of Rio Olympic Test event