The WBBL side makes a short trip to Colchester to face Essex Rebels Today.
Wolves will look to grab a victory as they hope to continue their run of good form. The team has claimed their first two league wins in their last two games against Caledonia Pride and Cardiff Met Archers.
This sees Oaklands move up two places in the table, with an improved record of two wins and five losses.
The side suffered an unfortunate start to the season, with a number of injuries and a demanding schedule. Despite their struggles, Wolves have come together as a collective and become much improved. The team has put a focus on defence, becoming tenacious on that end of the floor.
In their last game against Archers, Oaklands forced them into 20 turnovers and grabbed an impressive 15 steals. With contributions from the bench, the side is also able to deal with pressure and move the ball to find good shots on offence.
Speaking to Head Coach Lee Ryan, he said: “It was another solid defensive performance by us at Cardiff, we are proving tough to play against and importantly improving our defensive execution.
“The team are just starting to improve their offensive understanding of each other. With the disruptions we've had I think we just have to be patient on that end and let the players work it out.
“Having Melita on court Wednesday was a big boost, she played a solid part in her first game and will only get better as she gets sharper.”
Rebels have proved to be a strong opponent, sitting fourth in table with a winning record of four wins and two losses. The team has beat Nottingham Wildcats 95-91, showing they can compete with the best. Essex has a number of key players, including Deangelique Waithe, Andrea Kohlhaas, Ashleigh Munns, Carla Bieg Salazar and Lucrezia Costa.
Waithe is averaging 18.5 points and 9.2 rebounds, while Kohlhaas puts up 17.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Munns and Salazar average 14.4 and 13.7 points respectively, as well as 5 assists each. Costa is also putting up a near double-double with 10.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
The talent of the Rebels side makes them versatile and difficult to match up with as so many players can contribute.
Ryan added: “Essex play with a lot of belief and confidence, boosted by a big win against the league leading Leicester Riders.
“We will be looking to be as disruptive Sunday as we have been in the last month.
“If we hold them below their high scoring average we will have a good chance to extend our win streak.”
It will be a hard game for the Wolves but one that is certainly winnable as they look to continue their run to the playoffs.
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