KEY POINTS:
The young Northern Mystics shooting end will be a target of the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic in tonight's clash at Trusts Stadium.
Magic coach Noeline Taurua believes the key to unhinging their Auckland rivals could lie in getting under the skins of shooters Cathrine Latu and Jade Topia.
The pair have looked wobbly at times in the opening rounds of the ANZ Championship, lacking the confidence to put up the shots when under pressure. Too often the Mystics shooters are looking to pass back out of the circle when they are in shooting range, which has lead to costly turnovers.
Taurua said this is "definitely one of the areas we will look to exploit".
"Both of them tend to offload quite a bit," she said.
"With us, that's something they cannot do, because we're going to pounce on those opportunities."
With confidence returning to the Mystics camp after claiming their first win of the season with a come from behind effort over the Steel last week, Taurua admitted the Aucklanders will be "pretty high".
However, she said with their Northern rivals still trying to iron out a few kinks in their attack, her side is facing them at an ideal time.
"I think it's probably best to face them now rather than further down the track a wee bit," said Taurua.
"I think they haven't quite built on combinations properly yet. They've been changing combinations quite a bit so they still haven't really got those links."
The Magic have already knocked over the Mystics this season, sneaking away with a four-goal win in a see-sawing match back in round two. The Silver Fern-laden Magic side look to have lifted a few levels since then, but Taurua said she is still after greater consistency from her side.
"It seems like all teams are saying the same things in regards to consistency and we're no different to that. We have some great patches and then we seem to go missing in action so I would definitely like for us to get a more even balance."
A win tonight would lift the Magic to the top of the table alongside surprise competition leaders the Queensland Firebirds on 10 points.
Vicki Wilson's Firebirds side have been quietly going about their business in the opening rounds of the competition, but everyone will be sitting up and taking notice now after their 66-52 drubbing of the NSW Swifts in round six.
1.96m Jamaican shooter Romelda Aiken proved to be simply unstoppable for the Firebirds, netting 52 of their 66 goals.
The Canterbury Tactix also claimed a win in round six, edging past the Southern Steel 51-48 to leapfrog their southern rivals in to sixth on the championship table. The win places them in the all-important position of the number two ranked New Zealand side. But the Tactix will have to try and continue their climb up the ladder without the services of one of the key figures in their side.
Former Silver Fern shooter Jodi Brown has announced she is taking immediate time out from netball as she is pregnant with her first child.
Lofty English shooter Rachel Dunn has been called in to replace Brown.
