Home team Waikato BOP AVIS Magic are taking on Northern Stars at 4pm today in round 12 of the 2024 ANZ Premiership.

Around 2500 people are expected to attend this important game while will also be broadcast live from Mercury Baypark Arena in Tauranga on Sky Sport, Sky Sport Now and TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+.

Third place on the Premiership ladder and AVIS Magic are going from strength to strength with the elimination finals ahead. For the first time since 2017, the Magic have found themselves in the top three and coach Mary-Jane Araroa says her team is building.  

“We’re really up for it this year,” she says, following a convincing win over the Mystics.  

“The girls can feel it, every week we’re building It’s going to give us incredible confidence going through. We know we can give more…but it’s not over yet.”  

The Magic turned in a full team performance against the Mystics with all areas of the court firing.  They must be wary of a Stars team that continues to push all opponents hard – a team that has competed in the contest but fallen just short in the critical moments.  

If there is one thing the Stars have been able to nail this season, it is the art of picking up bonus points. The Maia Wilson-led side have now netted eight bonus points showing they can mix it with any of the teams in the league – including the top two sides – but stumble when the screws are tightened in the dying minutes.  

“I think I’m going to call ourselves the team that loves the bonus point. It’s just the nature of our season with the ins and outs of everybody," says Mary-Jane.

The defensive duo of Kate Burley and Holly Fowler put all sorts of pressure on the Pulse shooting combination and face another tough task against Ameliaranne Ekenasio and Saviour Tui.

When the teams last meet in Round 8 the Magic claimed a 60-56 win in Auckland. 

Although, in 23 previous meetings the Stars have won 13, the Magic nine and there has been one draw, the Magic have won both previous meetings this season.

Ten of the 23 meetings between the Stars and Magic have been decided by five goals or less or drawn.

The Stars are coming off a 43-46 bonus point loss to the Pulse in Porirua in Round 11 and the Stars have a record of one win and 10 losses including eight bonus point losses.

The Stars have equalled the record for the most bonus points in a season after the Pulse recorded eight in 2021. If the Stars claim one more they will claim the single season record for bonus points and equal the Magic for the most ever bonus points on 27 since the start of 2017.

The Magic have played 10 matches in Tauranga since the start of the ANZ Premiership in 2017 for a record of three wins and seven losses. The Magic’s 58-41 win over the Pulse in round 7 ended a seven match losing run in Tauranga.

The Magic and Stars have met in Tauranga six times in the ANZ Premiership and the Magic won the first two meetings in 2017 and 2018, while the Stars have won the past four in 2019, 2021 (x2) and 2023.

The Magic is coming off a 54-42 victory over the Mystics in Auckland in Round 11 and have a record of six wins, five losses and a bonus point to sit in third place on the ladder.

The Magic need one more win to equal their ANZ Premiership season record of seven wins which they achieved in 2017.

Claire O’Brien and Saviour Tui both played their 50th national league matches in round 11 against the Mystics.

Kate Burley (Stars) will play her 100th ANZ Premiership match in Round 12 against the Magic. Kate made her debut for the Stars in 2017 and has played 54 matches in purple (2017-2020, 2024), 16 for Mystics (2021) and 29 for Steel (2022-2023).

The Magic have the second best shooting accuracy in the ANZ Premiership after 11 rounds shooting their 561 goals at 88.4 per cent accuracy.

The Magic entered the top three for the first time this season breaking the strangle hold of the Tactix, Pulse and Mystics who had held those positions after all other rounds.

The Tactix sit in first place, the Pulse in second and Magic in third. The Magic is the only ANZ Premiership team to have never played finals.

AVIS Magic v Stars
When: 4pm, Saturday, June 29
Where: Mercury Baypark Arena, Tauranga
Broadcast: Live on Sky Sport and Sky Sport Now and TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+ (NZ), NetballPass.com (outside NZ)