The Perth Lynx are ticked off, and coach Andy Stewart hopes that spells bad news for the Dandenong Rangers during the upcoming WNBL semi-final series.
The Lynx needed to win just one of their final two games of the regular season in order to secure a top-two berth.
But losses to Dandenong (81-59) and Bendigo (73-72) ended those hopes.
The twin defeats meant the Lynx ended up finishing third, costing them home-court advantage during their best-of-three series against Dandenong, starting on Saturday.
Stewart was so concerned with his team's recent performance against Dandenong that he asked each player to watch the game in private afterwards so they could write him some notes about why they think it went pear-shaped.
"They caught us napping. I can't believe we were napping," Stewart said of that performance.
"Our intensity in the first quarter - we gave up five uncontested lay-ups.
"It just wasn't us. It was out of character. It was disappointing to watch.
"I think there's a level where everybody's ticked off at themselves, and the blame game isn't going around.
"It's very much internal. I'm glad about that. And I'm glad the notes they sent back to us reveal so.
"Now we've got to do it the hard way."
The Lynx ended a 16-year finals drought last season, eventually losing 2-0 to the Townsville Fire in the grand final.
Stewart believes that experience will hold his team in good stead heading into this season's finals campaign.
In the other semi-final series, the ladder-leading Sydney Uni Flames take on the Fire, with game one also on Saturday.
