Tornadoes still tuning up: Washington

The Tornadoes dropped their opening game to Southern Sabres 70-64 last weekend despite an impressive double-double from US recruit Brittany Hodges, who collected a rebound every 90 seconds to finish with 20 for the game.

Last year's star-studded outfit led by Lauren Mansfield, Lauren Nicholson and Ally Wilson started the year with four losses in five games, and Washington hinted this year's leaders of Hodges, Stella Beck and yet-to-play Stephanie Gardner could take even longer to establish chemistry together.

"Last year it took us until about the sixth or seventh game to figure out my vision, but with this group I don't know," he said.

"Last year that group were kind of familiar with each other and how each other played, this year these players haven't played with each other before.

"But I do know that in the next game and as the games go on we will get better, they will know what I want and do the best they can to execute it - I'll say [it'll take] a few games but at the end of the day you don't know.

'We only had two players who had ever played on this stage and everybody else was new so you have to take into account nerves, players being too unselfish and not selfish enough - overall I was very proud of them."

The Tornadoes' next assignment is a Saturday night home fixture against last year's SEABL preliminary finalist Nunawading Spectres, who enjoyed a 21-point win over Ballarat in round one.

Washington said he had learned plenty about his new players in their first proper hit-out and expected his imports would continue the good form they showed last weekend. 

"Brittany Hodges and Stella Beck have great leadership qualities on the floor, they're very talkative, they try to put the players in the best position they can and that's all I can ask for as a coach, especially when it's loud at Elphin and the players can't hear me," Washington said.

"They have a lot of grit, they're not giving up and they want to win - these ladies do want to win, they want to get back to the championship and they're willing to learn and do whatever it takes to do that and it's a process.

"The first game last year we got beaten by 25 and we only lost by six this year and we could have won, so that's progress for me as a coach."

Saturday's clash will also mark the first of four double-headers with men's side North-West Thunder.

The Thunder's 6pm clash is also against Nunawading.