THE Perth Redbacks, Perry Lakes Hawks and Joondalup Wolves all face double-headers in the Women's SBL in Week 9 as they attempt to keep pace with the league-leading Willetton Tigers and Rockingham Flames.

The Flames and Tigers played off in the 2015 grand final and again have started the new season strongly having suffered just the one loss apiece heading into Week 9, but the Redbacks, Hawks and Wolves are among the teams who can make a real statement this weekend.

The round gets underway on Friday night with the Textile WA Perth Redbacks (4-4) facing the Bethanie Stirling Senators (4-6), the Perry Lakes Hawks (6-2) taking on the Lakeside Lightning (4-4) and the Orange Autos Rockingham Flames (9-1) battling the Merriwa Tavern & Bistro City of Joondalup Wolves (5-1).

The Flames have won their last nine matches since opening the season with a loss to last year's fellow grand finalists the Tigers.

They have been in some ominous form despite not being at full strength and with Darcee Garbin having some time off the past couple of weeks. They take on another potential threat to their three-peat this season in the Wolves this Friday night.

The Lady Wolfpack have also lost just the one match so far in 2016 and that was by a point to the Flames at Joondalup Basketball Stadium when Sami Whitcomb hit a stunning buzzer-beating three to win it.

Neither team has suffered a loss since and Friday night could give a true indication of where both sides sit in the title hunt for 2016.

Rockingham coach Ryan Petrik is fully expecting his Flames team to need to be at their very best to come away with the win even on their home floor.

"Huge challenge this weekend against the Wolves," Petrik said.

"Whitcomb heroics saved us last time and it's been their only loss for the year. I don't know that any team has a better big four than (Shani) Amos, (Ellyce) Ironmonger, (Klara) Wischer and (Nikita-Lee) Martin.

"I have no doubt if we're to challenge again, the Wolves will be a team we need to go through at some point."

Also on Friday night, the Redbacks host the Senators in what should be another fascinating contest between two teams trying to cement themselves in the top eight.

Perth recruited well coming into the season adding the likes of Lisa Wallbutton, Rebecca Mercer, Ajay Jones and Ashley Gilmore. However, they have lost four of their last five games and now need to regain some of their early season form on Friday if they hope to challenge the Senators.

Stirling has also had some up and down form this season, but the Senators responded to a disappointing loss to the Tigers last Friday by beating the Eastern Suns by 21 points on Saturday.

Coach Glenn Clarke is now looking for his team to continue that form on Friday against the dangerous Redbacks.

"On Friday night we play Perth Redbacks and the last encounter we got the win," Clarke said.

"But Perth have lost their last few games and will look at coming out of the blocks hard to reverse the first outing result."

The other clash on Friday is another important one with the fourth placed Hawks taking on the seventh placed Lightning at Bendat Basketball Centre with Perry Lakes needing to bounce back from a big loss to Willetton while Lakeside is on a two-game winning run.

The round continues on Saturday night with the Goodlife Homes Willetton Tigers playing the Print Sync South West Slammers, the Schweigen Home Appliances East Perth Eagles taking on the Merriwa Tavern & Bistro City of Joondalup Wolves and the Mandurah Magic hosting the Textile WA Perth Redbacks.

The Tigers come into the clash at home against the Slammers having beaten the Hawks by 41 points, Senators by 35 and Slammers by 28 since their opening loss of the season by a point at the hands of Kalamunda. That means South West has a big job ahead to break their eight-game losing run to open 2016.

The Eagles have also been struggling so far this season having won just once in their opening nine matches ahead of their clash against the Wolves at home. They will be hoping the Lady Wolfpack are worn down after battling the Flames on Friday.

The Magic and Redbacks is another contest of two teams trying to get some momentum. Mandurah has been competitive without Casey Mihovilovich and Bree Klasztorny, but has lost five matches on the trot ahead of the clash with a Perth team who first faces Stirling on Friday this weekend.

The round concludes on Sunday afternoon at Ray Owen Sports Centre with the Kalamunda Eastern Suns playing the Perry Lakes Hawks.

The Hawks will have earlier played the Lightning on Friday night while the Suns will be fresh coming into the contest entering the round on a 3-5 record and looking on at the top eight from the outside despite being the only team to beat the Tigers this season.

WEEK 9 WOMEN'S SBL FIXTURES
FRIDAY
Textile WA Perth Redbacks v Bethanie Stirling Senators, Belmont Oasis Leisure Centre 6.30pm
Perry Lakes Hawks v Lakeside Lightning, Bendat Basketball Centre 6.30pm
Orange Autos Rockingham Flames v Merriwa Tavern & Bistro City of Joondalup Wolves, Mike Barnett Sports Complex 6.30pm

SATURDAY
Goodlife Homes Willetton Tigers v Print Sync South West Slammers, Willetton Basketball Stadium 6pm
Schweigen Home Appliances East Perth Eagles v Merriwa Tavern & Bistro City of Joondalup Wolves, Morley Sport and Recreation Centre 6pm
Mandurah Magic v Textile WA Perth Redbacks, Mike Barnett Sports Complex 6.30pm

SUNDAY
Kalamunda Eastern Suns v Perry Lakes Hawks, Ray Owen Sports Centre 12pm

Article by Chris Pike
Photo by Serene-Elise Photography