Preview: Battle for final playoff spot headlines Domino's Women's Super League

It’s winner takes all in the battle for the final playoff spot in the Domino’s Women’s Super League between Utility Trust St. Paul’s and Catalyst Fr. Mathews. The duo face-off at 16:00 on Saturday afternoon in Killarney with the winner set to play SETU Waterford Wildcats in the playoffs next weekend.  

The previous meeting between the sides came back in December, a 68-47 win for Cork side Fr. Mathews, but both teams have evolved a lot in the intervening three months.

Catalyst Fr. Mathews are coming off a difficult run of fixtures but have failed to win since beating regular season winners SETU Waterford Wildcats 108-87 in January. Since then, it has been six straight defeats, so they will need to utilise all the experience in their ranks to right the ship this weekend.

On the other hand, this is a shot to nothing for Utility Trust St. Paul’s. The Killarney side have acquitted themselves well in their first season at this level, securing another season of Domino’s Women’s Super League basketball and reaching a Paudie O’Connor Cup semi-final. Should they pull of the win in front of what’s sure to be a loud home crowd in Killarney on Saturday, they will be in bonus territory.

James Fleming’s side enter the contest on the back of successive defeats to SETU Waterford Wildcats and Trinity Meteors, but prior to that they had rattled off four straight wins to put themselves in with a shot of post-season basketball.

Wins over Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell and University of Galway Mystics on Saturday and Sunday will propel Killester into the second seed ahead of FloMAX Liffey Celtics, should the Kildare outfit fail to beat The Address UCC Glanmire in their final game of the regular season.

Elsewhere, it’s still all to play for between Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell, The Address UCC Glanmire and Trinity Meteors, who could all finish anywhere between fourth and sixth in the final standings, while Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers – safe in the knowledge that they will be playing playoff basketball next – can secure a 9-9 record win a home win against Wildcats.

The unpredictable nature of the end of the regular season and the remaining possibility of lifting silverware this season due to the new playoff structure in the Domino’s Women’s Super League is something that Ireland women’s captain and Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell star Edel Thornton is relishing.

“Finishing as high as possible in the league table would be great as it could get us a home quarter-final - and with our supporters - it can be a huge boost to the team, but I suppose our main focus as a team right now is trying to build some momentum going into playoffs,” said Thornton.   

“I think every team is aware that regardless of standings going into playoffs it’s still everyone’s to play for, with the new structure meaning whoever wins their final 3 games will be league champions - which is exciting.”