7.40pm - Central Pulse v West Coast Fever, Porirua
9.40pm - Queensland Firebirds v Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic, Brisbane
The Magic will be looking to draw on the extraordinary achievements of star shooter Irene van Dyk to inspire a win over transtasman title favourites the Queensland Firebirds tonight.
The top-of-the-table clash will mark another big milestone in the remarkable career of van Dyk, who will be playing her 100th game for the Waikato/Bay of Plenty side after joining the franchise in 2003 in the now defunct National Bank Cup.
In the past van Dyk has made a habit of marking career milestones with big performances.
The Silver Ferns helped her celebrate becoming the world's most capped netballer with a record-breaking 25-goal win over Australia in October 2005.
The Ferns also pulled out all the stops to ensure van Dyk's 100th test for New Zealand was memorable, producing a 16-goal win over Australia in 2009. But the first-placed Firebirds, who are unbeaten in eight games this season, will have no bones about spoiling van Dyk's party.
With the Firebirds having already accounted for the Swifts (twice), Vixens, and Mystics, the Magic are the last big scalp the Queensland side have to claim this season.
Despite their line-up being largely unchanged from the one that finished fifth last season, the Firebirds look an entirely different side this year.
Their defence end, led by Australian star Laura Geitz, has always had great depth, but they have previously struggled to convert their individual talent into a strong and cohesive defensive unit.
The Firebirds have taken an even bigger step up in their attacking play, with the feeders displaying more confidence in putting the ball in to Jamaican shooter Romelda Aiken.
Magic coach Noeline Taurua believes the Firebirds have learned how best to take advantage of their key strike weapon.
"I think from the past few years they've gone up another level in the final execution and they're also reading Romelda better," said Taurua.
"They're seeing that space better and Romelda has added a bit more of movement and strength to her repertoire as well."
The Magic will be looking to stem the flow of the ball into the Firebirds' shooting circle by trying to slow the ball through the court and disrupt the rhythm of the attack end. Taurua has highlighted Australian midcourter Lauren Nourse, who leads the Firebirds in assists this season, as a key player to target.
The Firebirds will likely have a similar strategy for trying to shut down van Dyk - the Magic's dominant shooter.
The Queensland side employ an aggressive in-your-face style of defence and will be aiming to slow the Magic's flow on attack and force them to put panicked ball in to the shooting circle.
Taurua said her side were fortunate to have played Australian teams over the past two weeks (Vixens and Fever) and experienced the physicality they could expect tonight.
The Magic opted to stay on in Perth after last Monday's one-goal win over the Fever to prepare for tonight's match and took the opportunity to play a training game against a local team, with local umpires officiating.
Taurua said the team wanted to clarify some of the penalties they had been called for last week so they can better adapt on court tonight.
In tonight's earlier game the Central Pulse are chasing their second win of the season against fellow competition cellar-dwellers, the Fever.
