Every week, ESPN's Megan Hustwaite brings together the stories that have caught her eye across the WNBL.
Megs' Notebook
Venom to Rocc(i) and Roll
Geelong will be bolstered by the return of Maddy Rocci for Thursday night's test against Townsville.
The medal-winning Opal hurt her foot during her 33-point opening round haul against Tasmania and has missed the past three games including last round's big win over Bendigo.
It will be the first time Geelong have had their point guard and import star centre Han Xu on court together with the Chinese megastar thrilled to be on the end of some elite passing by the triple WNBL champion.
Coach Cheryl Chambers said while Rocci would be on limited minutes her inclusion was a shot in the arm for the Venom.
"It'll be great to have Rocci back and to have that calming influence when we need it. It's funny, I recruited her (to Southside) and now she's become the savvy veteran," she told ESPN.
"It's just awesome to have Han but is a different thing working with a big, it takes a bit of time and it's starting to click, when to get it to her and when not to, hopefully that looks a bit better on Thursday night and I think Han will be very happy to have her (Rocci) back too."
Townsville tough it out
World Cup Opal Alex Fowler believes early-season adversity will hold the Fire in good stead during their quest for back-to-back titles.
The reigning champs have gone 3-2 without newly crowned WNBA champ Miela Sowah, injured duo Chloe Forster and Emma Clarke and now import Marie Gulich (ankle) who is set to miss a second consecutive game.
After beating Perth at home on Tuesday night, the Fire flew to Melbourne on Wednesday morning then travelled to Geelong ahead of Thursday night's clash with the Venom.
"I think it's good adversity for us to be going through at the start of the season, it shows the kind of character we have. We're going to have some younger players stepping up into opportunities, some of us core who have been around and even Lauren (Jensen) and Marie have had the chance to jump in the deep end," Fowler explains.
"Hopefully in the next few months we can look back on this stint and know we continued to grow and improve from that adversity and all the things we faced."
Fowler clocked her most minutes in a WNBL game (37) against Bendigo in Round 2 and is averaging 12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists across the first five games.
Everything A-OK for Atwell
Amy Atwell feels better than she has in a long time and it's showing.
Healthy and without her left knee troubling her for the first time in more than two years, the Olympic medallist is thriving on and off the court in the nation's capital.
Atwell is averaging 23 points across the Caps' first three games.
"Unless you've had a knee injury or ongoing knee stuff, it's hard to understand how it is battling with that, dealing with it and trying to play through it and find a perfect balance of managing it and getting healthy and how frustrating it is to play but not feel like you can move and do the things you want to do," she said.
"It's been a pretty frustrating past two WNBL seasons but I feel like myself for the first time in a long time."
On the eve of the 2024-25 season, Atwell hurt her knee at practice on the Monday before Round 1. She saw several surgeons but opted to play on in what would be a Grand Final campaign for the Lynx.
"I missed the first seven or eight games trying to get it to settle down, I probably needed surgery straight away but wanted to see if I could play the season out because we had a really talented roster and I didn't want to call it quits," she reveals.
"I came back and played the back half of the season and just couldn't move. It was pretty rough and I had surgery the week after the season ended, had a clean up. The off-season, was rehab and trying to get it right but then I walked into last season without any prep.
"Last season I was a lot better but still not 100 percent or moving the way I knew I could. It was a frustrating season too because some days it was good, others it wasn't and we just couldn't get the balance right."
Representing the Gangurrus, highlighted by a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, has proved reinvigorating.
"3x3 was a lot of fun. I got a lot of confidence from that, it really helped my game as well and my physical strength and conditioning," Atwell said.
"The 3x3 world is just basketball at it purest, you don't have to think too much, you can play on instinct."
The Caps, who beat the Spirit in Round 1, are in Bendigo this round.
OPALS WATCH -- The Opals who shone in Round 3
Amy Atwell (Caps) 25 points, 2 rebounds, 1 block vs. Geelong
Courtney Woods (Fire) 24 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds vs. Perth
Jade Melbourne (Spirit) 22 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds vs. Geelong
Abbey Ellis (Fire) 21 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal vs. Perth
Steph Reid (Jewels) 17 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal vs. Sydney
Alex Fowler (Fire) 16 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal vs. Perth
Isabelle Bourne (Flames) 16 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal vs. Tasmania
Zitina Aokuso (Lightning) 15 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal vs. Southside
WNBL Round 4
Thursday November 5: Geelong home to Townsville, 7pm AEDT
Saturday November 7: Adelaide home to Tasmania, 3pm AEDT
Saturday November 7: Bendigo home to UC Capitals, 7pm AEDT
Sunday November 8: Sydney home to Southside, 12.30pm AEDT
Tuesday November 10: Perth home to Bendigo, 9pm AEDT