The GoSweetSpot Mystics head to Tauranga this weekend, taking with them the Hobbiton Cup which they have held securely for the last four years, and is up for grabs in this Round 2 match against the WBOP Magic.

With both teams coming off close round one losses and hungry to get their first win on the board in 2026, this match is set to be a fierce encounter.

Despite winning both encounters in 2025, the Mystics know how tough the Magic are and with an 8 from 12 win record in Tauranga, know how much they like playing in front of a vocal Tauranga crowd.

“Magic are a tough side and they’re really stoic. They’ll keep coming no matter what’s happening and we need to make sure that we execute our game plan early to grab an advantage otherwise we’ll struggle,” acknowledges Mystics head coach, Tia Winikerei.

There are some exciting match up’s through court, Winikerei particularly points to both shooting circles,

“Erena and Maia have got a huge amount of ANZ Premiership experience and they have played against each other a lot. Erena is playing in the same team and Maia is playing in a different team so they way Maia is playing at the moment may be unfamiliar to Erena so that key battle should be one that will be won early in the game.

Catherine and Saviour both have incredible elevation and they both had fantastic seasons in 2025. Catherine has a strong presence in the circle, as does Saviour and I think that the competition along the baseline and the ability to get pressure over the shot will be incredibly important for Catherine.”

The Mystics are clear on what they need to do to get their season back on track, working hard this week on improving connections and areas they felt weren’t sharp enough against the Stars, and really building on that round one performance.

Winikerei simply says, “If we play together, back each other and execute what we’ve been practicing we should be able to perform and win the game,” adding, “We always have tight matches against the Magic so we cannot rest in any part of the game.”

It’s always a firey encounter between these two teams, and this match will not disappoint with both teams wanting to return home with both the points and the Hobbiton ‘precious’.

Catch all the action live at Mercury Baypark Arena, Tauranga from 7pm, or live on TV2.