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Joyce Mvula, Jade Clarke, Kim Borger and Natalie Panagarry are preparing for the Superleague semi-finals
By
Jess Anderson
BBC Sport
And then there were four.
Netball's Superleague reaches its conclusion this weekend, with two semi-finals on Saturday and the Grand Final on Sunday.
The remaining teams - Loughborough Lightning, Manchester Thunder, Team Bath and Leeds Rhinos - share eight titles and 12 final appearances.
Rhinos, in their debut season, will take on three-time finalists Lightning, while Bath face defending champions Thunder.
The matches will take place in front of 1,000 fans at London's Copperbox Arena.
Here's how the teams have reached this stage:
Loughborough Lightning (1st in regular season)
Having topped the table in the regular season, Loughborough now have a bigger point to prove - that they can win a Grand Final.
After a heavy defeat by Thunder in
round 19,
Lightning rallied to beat Bath 54-35 and took top spot on goal difference.
Should they beat Rhinos, Lightning will play in a fourth final, but are yet to win the title.
Head coach Sara Francis-Bayman has her team well drilled, and they have only lost to Thunder - twice - and Bath this season.
There are usually plenty of goals, and Ugandan shooter Mary Cholhok is the league's top scorer with 772 goals in 2021.
Manchester Thunder (2nd)
After a tricky start, with defeats by Wasps and Bath, the three-time champions have hit title-winning form at just the right time.
The Black and Yellows are known for their grit and hold the momentum heading into their semi-final against Bath - they have won their past seven games, including convincing victories over Lightning and Wasps.
Thunder's success is based on a solid defence, with Kerry Almond back at goal keeper, after retiring at the end of their title-winning 2019 campaign, and captain Emma Dovey at goal defence.
At the other end of the court, Eleanor Cardwell has made the goal attack position her own, and formed a formidable partnership with Malawi's Joyce Mvula, who is accurate and powerful under the post.
Head coach Karen Greig struggled to find the right mid-court combinations early in the season, but consistency at both ends has allowed her to rotate, and a strong bench could be crucial with the semi-finals and final on consecutive days.
Team Bath (3rd)
Bath have won five Superleague finals - more than any other team - but have not reached one since 2013, when they beat Surrey Storm.
Anna Stembridge's team have done the double over Rhinos and Thunder but were well beaten by a dogged Lightning in their last game of the regular season.
They lost the game before that as well - Saracens Mavericks beat them for the second time this season.
But there is quality in their ranks - a defensive set-up that includes England Roses trio Serena Guthrie, Eboni Usoro-Brown and Layla Guscoth gives them a good base, and in Kim Borger and Sophie Drakeford-Lewis they have the most accurate shooting partnership in the league.
They led the league from the outset and held top spot until the final day of the season, but have they got the cutting edge to go all the way?
Leeds Rhinos (4th)
What a debut Superleague season this has been for Rhinos.
Granted, they may not have reached finals weekend in the manner they would have liked - being
awarded six points
and, in turn, fourth place despite being unable to play their final two fixtures because of a positive coronavirus test.
Their performances this season - bringing 10 wins - have justified their position, but they are the only team in the final four not to have beaten one of the others.
Sadly, Rhinos will be without top shooter Donnell Wallam, who has had to return to her native Australia because of a family bereavement.
But with the experience of Jade Clarke - England's most-capped player, and standout players Vicki Oyesola, Brie Grierson and Rhea Dixon, Dan Ryan's side have the potential to cause one more upset.
Semi-final fixtures
Saturday, 26 June
Loughborough Lightning v Leeds Rhinos (14:00 BST)
Manchester Thunder v Team Bath (16:00)
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Published
10 July 2019
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