Harrison: I thrive off pressure

SKYCITY Mystics co-captain Anna Harrison is giving herself every chance to take the court in the ANZ Premiership Elimination Final against the Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse on Sunday.

The gutsy defender was sorely missed in the Mystic’s loss to the Silvermoon Tactix – a loss that could have seen them watching the Finals Series from their lounge rooms.

“It’s a huge relief and it’s not a very nice position to be in relying on other teams. If Sunday had of been the last performance by us it would have been an extremely disappointing way to finish the season,” Harrison said.

“We have another life and now we need to prove what we can do, bring it all together and put out a good performance.”

The Mystics have had some time to reflect on what went wrong against the Tactix and how they can rectify it against the Pulse. A win will see them progress through to the Grand Final – a loss, well its season over.

“You always need to be aware of the wounded rhino as [Dame] Lois Muir once said. We are definitely hurting,” she said.

“The Tactix are a great example – they went down to Steel in Round 12 and they would have been hurting from having that in their reach and letting it go. We’re in the same position where we need to come out and use that loss as fuel for a really good performance.”

Both sides have their fair share of internationals to call on, but perhaps the most intriguing battle will be at the Mystics’ shooting end: Mes and Tutaia v Karaka and Grant - an all-Silver Ferns line-up.

At the other end of the court, Harrison says the Mystics’ flexibility in defence may be an advantage in what she is calling a “humdinger of a game”.

“It’s a great position to be in as a defender where you can play more than one position. It’s a beauty personally for us to be able play different positions, but also for the team, the opposition needs to prepare for two or three possible combinations,” Harrison said.

“I’m expecting it to be a real humdinger of a game - as it should be for an Elimination Final.

“I thrive off pressure so I’m looking forward to it.”

The Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse will face the SKYCITY Mystics on Sunday 25 June in the ANZ Premiership Elimination Final. Tickets for the match at TSB Bank Arena, Wellington, go on sale to the general public from 9am, Friday 23 June – GET TICKETS.

Can’t make it to the game? Fans can tune in via SKY Sport 1, Radio Sport and the ANZ Premiership Facebook page (outside NZ) from 2pm for live coverage.