The Southern Steel have lost both games against the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic but are confident they can turn that around in today's conference elimination final in Hamilton.
The winner will go on to play the Northern Mystics in the Conference final on Monday.
The Steel coach Janine Southby concedes they are fortunate to be in the elimination final, having won only three games all season in the new conference format.
"There's going to be lots of discussion around the merits of it but the format was set at the start of the season and we're the ones that have been fortunate enough to get through but I definitely think we've been fortunate," she said.
"At times we feel as if we've been a little bit unlucky and missed out on a couple (of wins) and had a few close games, so that's what has probably got us through in the end."
As far as the Magic are concerned, the key to winning is shutting down the Steel's Jamaican international shooter Jhaniele Fowler.
Southern Steel shooter Jhaniele Fowler was named the New Zealand Conference MVP for the ANZ Championship. Photo: Photosport
Fowler was named the New Zealand conference most valuable player this week.
She sits second on the overall shooting stats for the competition with an almost 87 percent success rate.
Magic coach Julie Fitzgerald said "she is an enormous scoring threat so we have to shut down the supply of ball to her."
Fitzgerald said she has also been impressed with the Steel's defensive combination of Phoenix Karaka and Storm Purvis.
The match starts at 3.10pm at Claudelands Arena in Hamilton, with the winner playing the Northern Mystics in the conference final on Monday.
