Basketball On The Internet.

COURTNEY Woods' Grand Final Game 1 tour de force tonight in front of a sold-out Townsville Entertainment Centre crowd underpinned a quality home victory and has sent the Perth Lynx crashing back to the whiteboard figuring out what their Plan B is when the 3-point shooters falter.

It certainly isn't defence the Lynx can fall back on, Woods orchestrating a 24-10 third period which turned the championship series onto its ear, Perth further deafened by the roaring home crowd.

The fact she scored as many points in the period as Perth, spoke volumes for her dominance.

Woods finished with a game-high 22 points at 65 per cent, six rebounds, two assists and three steals as Townsville's strategies broke Perth's resolve, too often reducing it to one-pass-shot and no-pass-shot offences that virtually made its 211cm asset Han Xu redundant.

Alicia Froling (17 points at 78 per cent, 7 rebounds), Alex Fowler (12 points, 7 rebounds), Miela Sowah (20 points, 8-of-8 FTs) and Woods all attacked the hoop with gusto - sending an early message - while Abbey Ellis (11 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists) controlled the offensive tempo.

It was a textbook win, masterminded by Shannon Seebohm, with several clever wrinkles such as the bigger Fowler at times hounding Alex Ciabattoni, preventing the versatile playmaker from getting into the bully-ball style that has overwhelmed so many shorter opponents.

The Lynx zone posed no great issues either, meaning Perth coach Ryan Petrik has a lot to think about on the return trip to WA ahead of Game 2.

Amy Atwell found her shot (19 points at 35 per cent, 4-of-11 threes) too late to make a difference and could not guard anyone's drive, Anneli Maley worked gamely for 12 points, 15 rebounds and six assists but her decision-making at times was strangely wayward.

Wilson (12 points, a rebound, a steal, three assists) could not break free as Townsville brutally exposed the Lynx's flaws.

In its two most recent championship series defeats, Perth won Game 1s on the road but blew it all in Game 2s at home. Now Petrik has to not only rewrite history but reveal there is more serious substance to his flashy outfit than Townsville ever let it show.

WNBL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (Best-of-3)

Game 1: Townsville Fire 88 (Woods 22, Sowah 20, Froling 17, Fowler 12, Ellis 11; Fowler, Ellis, Froling 7 rebs; Ellis 6 assts) d Perth Lynx 79 (Atwell 19, Xu 16, Ciabattoni, Wilson, Maley 12; Maley 15 rebs; Maley 6 assts) at Townsville Entertainment Centre. Crowd: 3,891. Fire lead 1-0

Game 2: Sunday in Perth

Game 3 (if required): Wednesday in Townsville