Ipswich Force v Mackay Meteorettes, Fri 8^th May @ 6:30pm (Ipswich Basketball Stadium)-
Both the Force and Meteorettes are unbeaten leading into Round 3.  For the Force, keep your eyes on Taylor, O'Sullivan and Foran who played well in Round 2 where the team defeated South West thru a dominating final quarter (23-6).  Looking back at 2008, the Meteorettes managed a 76-57 victory over the Force but that was with the home advantage.  This time around take away the home court but add into the mix 2 Australian Opals (Rohanee Cox and Marianna Tolo) and you've got yourself more than what you bargained for.  These two will be heading to China next week to play in an international series so it will be interesting to see how they perform when they make the journey south for the teams triple-header. 

South West Metro Pirates v Bundaberg Bears, Sat 9^th May @ 5:15pm (Hibiscus Sports Complex)-
The Pirates will really need to look at mistakes made from their Round 2 loss at the hands of Ipswich- specifically their final quarter shut down where they hit only 1 shot from the field and a small handful of free throws.   The Bears enjoyed watching from the sidelines in Round 2 and will get down to business early and try to get a win here after going down to the Pirates in Round 13 of the 2008 season 43-82.  This game will be a really solid local player hit-out- both teams are made up of quality local Australian players which is almost a rarity in the Leagues of today.  The Bears were smashed by the Power in Round 1 with a 47pt margin something that will linger for some time.  The Pirates get the nod with the home court advantage. 

Cairns Dolphins v Toowoomba Mountaineers, Sat 9^th May @ 6:00pm (Bendigo Bank Basketball Centre)-
At 1 and 3 the Dolphins are in desperate need of a win here.  When they look down the coast at the other teams in their pool they see nothing but talent.  The 5 teams from Gladstone and north will fight it out for 2 finals positions, with 1 more available should one of them finish atop of the ladder.  With 3 losses already by Round 3 it's time to get moving in the right direction before a season slips away early.  The Mountaineers will arrive winless but will cling to the stranglehold they had over the Dolphins back in Round 14 of 2008 where they won 87-63.  The Mountaineers will dominate the boards with Parsons pumping out 20rbs a game so far in 2009 but the team needs to become more aggressive in offense.  More chance of a Mountaineers win here then their Sunday afternoon game. 

Gladstone Power v Rockhampton Cyclones, Sat 9^th May @ 6:00pm (Kev Broome Stadium)-
Another massive showdown for the Power locals who have seen some red-hot basketball in recent weeks.  The team is coming off the back of a double OT game and will slam head on into one of the strongest Cyclones teams that the Association has built in recent years.  Steph Jones was strong, Amy Lewis was tough, Jenny Whittle was productive but their latest batch of players is something that should make all teams in the League stand-up and take notice.  They knocked the Flames off a superior winning streak in their first run and will have to handle the might of Bibby, Hurst and the rest of the pumped up Gladstone roster who are seething after dropping last week's game.  Don't expect to see a mirror of the 2008 game where the Cyclones hit the power for 6 (96-54).  Follow this one on LiveStats as it is a showing of the new strength in the Women's QBL.

Gold Coast Gliders v Mackay Meteorettes, Sat 9^th May @ 6:00pm (Tallebudgera Leisure Centre)-
The Gliders managed to send the Cairns Dolphins packing last week with a 2pt loss to round out their weekend in Brisbane (79-77).  Kate Webb has come over from Runaway Bay and will bring Junior State team experience to a team that has a fairly thin roster.  Griffith, Abele and McGregor are flying the flag high and will be given their first test of ultra high end basketball when the Meteorettes roll into town.  It was only a slim 4pt margin in 2008 (85-81) with the Gliders collecting the win.  I wouldn't be so sure here with the Meteorettes a heavily bolstered team this year looking to go 1 better than their 2008 Semi Final berth. 

Townsville Flames v Toowoomba Mountaineers, Sun 10^th May @11:30am (NPA Stadium)-
The Flames can get back to basics and focus on the current season now that their record-breaking winning streak is over.  Edgar and Dalgleish were unstoppable against the Power last week and have both assumed more responsibility for the Flames in their 2009 campaign of retaining their State title.  With a different make-up of players, the Flames defeated the Mountaineers in Round 6 of the 2008 season - 89-61.  The loss of '08 import Rhonda Price is being felt on this team but that opens plenty of doors for the next playmaker to stand out.  If Smith is back with the Flames this week then expect a healthy margin, given that they have more grunt and the Mountaineers already have a game under their belt this weekend. 

Gold Coast Gliders v Bundaberg Bears, Sun 10^th May @ 12:15pm (Tallebudgera Leisure Centre)-
The Gliders play the home double this weekend and Coach Riches will be thankful that his roster is continuing to grow.  Through injury and unavailability the team has been down to bare minimums but this week should be restored to near full strength.  The Gliders pumped bullets into the Bears in 2008 (82-50) on the back of Bianca Abbott and Belinda Stubbs.  With these two not in Gliders colours in 2009, this could be a chance for the Bears to get one back.  Karla Cameron is the pick of the crop for the Bears and needs to increase on her 18pts, 6rbs from Round 1.  The 2^nd game of the weekend for both teams.

Northside Wizards v Mackay Meteorettes, Sun 10^th May @ 12:15pm (The Sports Centre)-
The Northside Wizards gave everything they had when they faced the Meteorettes in 2008 but came up slightly short (80-61 to Mackay).  This time around though the Wizards are packing a little more punch.  WNBL talent Megan Michael will be joined by NZ National player Natalie Purcell in a team that has a been bolstered overnight and should be very competitive as they face the Meteorettes at the tail end of a long road trip.  Lennon was hot-to-trot against the Clippers last week (21pts, 9rbs, 4asts - in 27 minutes) and to get over the line here will need another massive effort.  Look out for the leadership of the Meteorettes McGrath to shin through in game 3.

Brisbane Capitals v Maroochydore Clippers, Sun 10^th May @ 12:15pm (Vince Hickey Stadium)-
The Brisbane Capitals had a 2^nd period brain freeze last week which cost them the game.  The Dolphins managed an 18-8 split in the 2^nd which was the difference in the end.  Caboolture and Northside look like possible early front runners in Pool B so both of these teams will be very interested in the win to keep their direct threats within reaching distance.  The Clippers took the win the last time these two met in Round 12 of 2008 (86-53).  Breen starting to showcase what she is capable of for the Capitals and Coach Austin needs to encourage her to continue to grow.  The Clippers have a very centralised offensive core which can be exploited to the home teams advantage- shut one down and the scoreboard should slow considerably.