The GoSweetSpot Mystics are on the road in Round 5 heading to Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua to face a Pulse side who are ready to make their mark on the competition.

So far this season the Mystics have been unable to put together back to back wins, but as they reach the halfway point of the competition, this is something they aim to rectify.

“What we took away from the Tactix match was belief. Winning matches is important, especially against such high quality opposition,” says Mystics Assistant Coach, Rob Wright.

The Pulse have also had a slow start to their 2026 season and will be looking to Saturday night’s match up to start their ascent on the ladder.

“We are going into this week knowing we will need to be better than our last game. At times we gave up some advantage against the Tactix. We cannot afford to let any team back into the contest,” says Wright “The strength of the Pulse is their relentless defence and quality of their roster. They never go away so you have to keep the pressure on them throughout the match.”

And pressure is something that Mystics defender Catherine Hall knows how to apply, currently leading the league in deflections and intercepts.

This week Hall and her defensive partners, Phoenix Karaka and Charlotte Manley, will have the unenviable task of shutting down two quality international shooters, Ameliaranne Ekenasio and Ine-Mari Venter, both mobile shooters unafraid to put up a 2 point shot.

Pressure is a key word for Wright as he notes that absorbing pressure is the focus for the team this week and consistency under that pressure, “We are looking at building our game across the four quarters, not just a couple of them. When we play to our strengths, we are as good as anyone in the competition. We need to do this for 60 minutes to give ourselves the best chance of winning.”

Saturday’s match in Porirua is another special one for the Mystics with speedy midcourter Tayla Earle stepping out for her 100th National League and Mystics match, a milestone the team will want to celebrate with a win.

Earle is a dominant figure directing play through court, adding to one of the teams strengths. “The variety of the Mystics play is aimed at keeping the opposition guessing. When we do this well, we are hard to beat,” says Wright.

And on Saturday night – the Mystics aim to be very hard to beat!

The Mystics take the court against the Pulse at Te Rauparaha Arena on Saturday night at 7pm, but opening the night, the Mystics Men will play their first ever match against the Central Tairanga Men at 5pm, a team riding high after a huge win against the Stars Men last week.