By Amanda Myler
Just two points separate the sides heading into the final regular round with the Gold Coast Titans and Sunshine Coast Thunder rounding out the top four qualifiers.
It has been a year of redemption for Liz White’s Cougars after a rare missed attempt to make the play-offs in 2024.
Cougars' wing defence Ellie Brice believes their return to success has been driven by a commitment to process, as opposed to a focus on outcome.
"It's always, of course, about winning at Cougars, but we take each week as it comes," Brice said.
"It's about everyone doing their individual job really well, and if that occurs, then it results in a win."
Brice said her team is aware of the minor premiership opportunity this weekend; however, it's not something they've directly addressed.
"It's definitely more helpful to be in the top two positions for finals because you get another go if something goes pear-shaped," she said.
"So, we've definitely had more emphasis on being in that top two and talked about that for sure."
The last time the Cougars faced the Bull Sharks was in Round 5, when they went down by just three points (61–58).
Brice, who played a full 60 minutes in that game, said a Cougars-Bull Sharks battle rarely disappoints.
"It's always exciting playing against Bond and feels like a really good match-up," she said.
"We’ve had a lot of new connections this year, so for the first few rounds we were shaky, but now we're coming into our own, so it will be interesting to play them again."
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