"It's an event of serious magnitude" - Limerick Huskies Head Coach Patrick O'Regan on reaching National Cup final

THE Limerick Sport Huskies are gearing up for what Head Coach Patrick O'Regan is calling 'an event of serious magnitude' when they take on Cleveland Rockets in the Domino's Women's Division One National Cup final.

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The Huskies will be taking on their Antrim opponents in the National Basketball Arena on Sunday at 12.15pm.

The Huskies secured a safe passage to this month's decider after an emphatic semi-final victory over Moy Tolka Rovers after recording three 20+ point quarters to cruise past their Dublin opponents, 74-45, at MTU in Cork.

Head Coach Patrick O'Regan was delighted with how his performed, stating that it was 'a great team performance on the day.'

"It was a great team performance on the day. It was a performance built on the defensive end and our offensive work was really selfless. We were always making that extra pass, led by the likes of Clara and Shelby. Orlaith Woods was fantastic on both ends of the floor.

"Fiona O'Connell had her best game of the season, she did a great job in shutting down their American. We did a really good job of identifying their top players and we ended up holding their two top players to 18 points between them and that was the cornerstone of our success. 

"We just put in a really good performance, every Irish player was fantastic and rose to the occasion. Sophie Moore was excellent, the experience that Cathy Grant brought to the game was brilliant.

"Also having the likes of a former Super League player in Simone O’Shea come on was invaluable to us. Hannah Cremin was also fantastic on the defensive rebounds so all in all it was just a fantastic team performance."

Kerry native O'Regan says that reaching this year's National Cup final is 'monumental' for the club, as the Huskies gear up to play their first cup final in over a decade. 

"It's monumental for the club to reach the cup final. The last time we were in a semi-final was 2021 and it's been a decade since we were last in a final so they don't come around to often and we can't take this for granted. It's an event of serious magnitude for the club. We're going to leave no stone unturned in preparing for it."

O'Regan is acutely aware of the threat that their Cleveland opponents will pose and states that the cup final will be a different game to the league meeting between the pair in October, where the Limerick side ran out 76-69 winners in Lisburn.

"Cleveland are a fantastic side team who play with incredible pace so. Our offence will take care of itself, it's just about how we nullify their threat. It was incredible to win in Lisburn in October, it was our first win of the season.

"We're a different team since then as are Cleveland. Both teams have improved massively since that game. They're a really young, talented Irish team and we're expected a really tough challenge. 

"I think at the end of the day, whoever controls the defensive rebounds and whichever team brings that bit of grit, will win the game. It's a cup final, anything can happen. I won't be reading too much into that league game a few months ago or the league form at the moment, it's going to be a completely different game but one we're very much looking forward too," O'Regan concluded.