# 2017–18 Townsville Fire season

The 2017–18 Townsville Fire season is the 17th season for the franchise in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL).

## Standings

| # | WNBL Championship ladder | WNBL Championship ladder | WNBL Championship ladder | WNBL Championship ladder | WNBL Championship ladder |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GP |
| 1 | Perth Lynx | 15 | 6 | 71.4 | 21 |
| 2 | Sydney Uni Flames | 14 | 7 | 66.6 | 21 |
| 3 | Townsville Fire | 14 | 7 | 66.6 | 21 |
| 4 | Melbourne Boomers | 12 | 9 | 57.1 | 21 |
| 5 | Adelaide Lightning | 11 | 10 | 52.3 | 21 |
| 6 | Canberra Capitals | 7 | 14 | 33.3 | 21 |
| 7 | Dandenong Rangers | 7 | 14 | 33.3 | 21 |
| 8 | Bendigo Spirit | 4 | 17 | 19.1 | 21 |

## Results
### Pre-season

| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location | Record |
| 1 | September 14 | Invitational Team | 81–80 | – | – | – | Townsville RSL Stadium | 1–0 |
| 2 | September 22 | Perth | 83–82 | Murray (18) | Garbin (10) | – | Burdekin Basketball Association | 2–0 |
| 3 | September 23 | Perth | 88–76 | Murray (14) | Garbin, Murray (7) | Wilson (7) | Burdekin Basketball Association | 3–0 |

### Regular season

| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location | Record |
| 1 | October 7 | @ Melbourne | 63–54 | George (17) | George (22) | Mincy (4) | State Basketball Centre | 1–0 |
| 2 | October 13 | Canberra | 76–65 | Batkovic (20) | Batkovic (12) | Batkovic, Donnelly (4) | Townsville RSL Stadium | 2–0 |
| 3 | October 19 | Sydney | 63–66 | Batkovic (22) | George (16) | Wilson (4) | Townsville RSL Stadium | 2–1 |
| 4 | October 21 | @ Dandenong | 71–86 | Batkovic (23) | Batkovic (10) | Batkovic (6) | Dandenong Stadium | 2–2 |
| 5 | October 27 | @ Canberra | 83–68 | Batkovic (27) | Batkovic (11) | Wilson (6) | National Convention Centre | 3–2 |
| 6 | October 29 | Melbourne | 64–57 | Batkovic (26) | George (10) | George (3) | Townsville RSL Stadium | 4–2 |
| 7 | November 2 | @ Perth | 68–87 | Batkovic (24) | George (10) | Wilson (5) | Bendat Basketball Centre | 4–3 |
| 8 | November 5 | Adelaide | 84–42 | Batkovic (20) | George (11) | Wilson (10) | Townsville RSL Stadium | 5–3 |
| 9 | November 11 | Bendigo | 94–59 | Batkovic (18) | George (11) | Wilson (7) | Townsville RSL Stadium | 6–3 |
| 10 | November 18 | @ Adelaide | 101–78 | Batkovic (23) | Batkovic (14) | Wilson (12) | Titanium Security Arena | 7–3 |
| 11 | November 23 | Melbourne | 73–66 | Garbin (18) | Batkovic (17) | Garbin (4) | Townsville RSL Stadium | 8–3 |
| 12 | November 26 | Perth | 79–84 | Mincy (16) | Batkovic (12) | Wilson (6) | State Basketball Centre | 8–4 |
| 13 | November 29 | @ Dandenong | 59–78 | Batkovic (19) | Batkovic (9) | Wilson (5) | Dandenong Stadium | 8–5 |
| 14 | December 2 | @ Sydney | 88–85 | Batkovic (26) | Batkovic (11) | Donnelly (7) | Brydens Stadium | 9–5 |
| 15 | December 7 | Adelaide | 74–89 | Batkovic (25) | Batkovic (13) | Mincy (5) | Townsville RSL Stadium | 9–6 |
| 16 | December 9 | @ Bendigo | 99–62 | Wiese (29) | George (12) | Mincy, Wiese (5) | Bendigo Stadium | 10–6 |
| 17 | December 16 | Dandenong | 83–71 | Batkovic (25) | George (8) | Wilson (6) | Townsville RSL Stadium | 11–6 |
| 18 | December 21 | @ Canberra | 99–66 | Garbin (23) | George (11) | Wiese (6) | National Convention Centre | 12–6 |
| 19 | December 23 | Bendigo | 120–62 | Garbin (30) | Batkovic, George (13) | Wilson (6) | Townsville RSL Stadium | 13–6 |
| 20 | December 29 | @ Sydney | 81–107 | Garbin (20) | Garbin (11) | Cocks, Donnelly (4) | Brydens Stadium | 13–7 |
| 21 | December 31 | Perth | 83–51 | Batkovic (31) | Batkovic (13) | Wilson (6) | Townsville RSL Stadium | 14–7 |

### Finals
#### Semi-finals

| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location | Series |
| 1 | January 4 | Sydney | 78–49 | Batkovic (19) | Batkovic (16) | Mincy (4) | Townsville RSL Stadium | 1–0 |
| 2 | January 6 | @ Sydney | 68–65 | Batkovic, Wiese (14) | Batkovic (10) | Wilson (5) | Brydens Stadium | 2–0 |

#### Grand Final

| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location | Series |
| 1 | January 13 | Melbourne | 69–64 | Batkovic (16) | Batkovic (15) | Donnelly, Mincy, Wilson (4) | Townsville RSL Stadium | 1–0 |
| 2 | January 18 | @ Melbourne | 57–58 | Batkovic (23) | Batkovic (9) | Wilson (5) | State Basketball Centre | 1–1 |
| 3 | January 21 | Melbourne | 70–57 | Batkovic (28) | Batkovic, George (13) | Batkovic, George, Wilson (3) | Townsville RSL Stadium | 2–1 |

## Signings
### Returning

| Player | Signed | Contract |
| Micaela Cocks | March 2016 | existing 2-year contract |
| Mia Murray | 25 March 2017 | 1-year contract |
| Suzy Batkovic | 11 April 2017 | 1-year contract |
| Kelly Wilson | 12 May 2017 | 1-year contract |
| Darcee Garbin | 29 June 2017 | 3-year contract |
| Haylee Andrews | 30 June 2017 | 1-year development player contract |

### Incoming

| Player | Signed | Contract |
| Cayla George | 7 May 2017 | 1-year contract |
| Marena Whittle | 25 May 2017 | 1-year contract |
| Zitina Aokuso | 29 May 2017 | 1-year contract |
| Sydney Wiese | 1 June 2017 | 1-year contract |
| Miela Goodchild | 30 June 2017 | 1-year development player contract |
| Laurin Mincy | 3 August 2017 | 1-year contract |
| Mikhaela Donnelly | 3 September 2017 | 1-year contract |

## Awards
### In-season

| Award | Recipient | Round(s) / Date |
| Team of the Week | Cayla George | Round 1 |
| Team of the Week | Suzy Batkovic | Rounds: 2, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11 |
| Team of the Week | Micaela Cocks | Round 7 |
| Team of the Week | Darcee Garbin | Round 12 |
| Player of the Week | Cayla George | Round 1 |
| Player of the Week | Suzy Batkovic | Round 4 |