Big stage beckons for Adelaide

20 Feb 2026

adelaide 36ers

Adelaide coach Mike Wells believes this weekend’s games against Perth and New Zealand are both ‘great opportunities’ for his side.

This weekend looms as a massive one for the Adelaide 36ers, with two pivotal clashes in the space of 72 hours.

The Sixers first travel to Perth for a crucial Round 22 fixture with the Wildcats, and while they've cemented their spot in the top two thanks to the Phoenix's loss on Thursday, there's still plenty to play for.

“[These games are bug when] you're trying to build a championship culture at a club,” Adelaide coach Mike Wells during the club’s media availability on Wednesday.

“It comes down to a really, really fun game on Friday night.

“It's the type of challenge that you want to play in Perth and to try to get into the Finals one of the top seeds.”

Following this fixture, the team from the City of Churches will shift their attention to Sunday’s historic Ignite Cup Final on the Gold Coast against the New Zealand Breakers.

“[The Ignite Cup Fina]) is something that we played for,” he said.

“This is just another thing at the end of the season that this group has been exceptional through the year and has won the right to sort of play in this game and play for some extra money.

“I couldn't be happier that we're in it and we're representing Adelaide and the 36ers, and I think it's going to be a really unique opportunity for the group.”

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Wells believes these two fixtures will perfectly prepare his group for the rigours of the upcoming post-season.

“You need these road games and you need those road challenges [going into Finals],” Wells said.

“You need those things to kind of bond the group together, whether you're just in the airport or you're on the bus or you're in that locker room.

“It's different when you're playing in front of 14,000 fans like we will be on Friday night.

“All these opportunities to connect and be together and kind of us against the world-type mentality is really huge because that's what it's going to be in the playoffs.”

Friday’s RAC Arena fixture tips off at 9.30pm AEDT, before Sunday’s inaugural Ignite Cup Final gets underway at 4.30pm AEDT on Sunday.

Both fixtures will be broadcast live on ESPN, with the latter also on Channel 10.