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TOWNSVILLE and Perth continued to show their bona fides this round as WNBL championship favourites, with Geelong and Canberra slowly emerging as teams likely to give Bendigo and Southside Flyers a run for their Final Four money.

Sydney has collapsed into a serious funk and for all the heart and effort Adelaide has shown, the loss of import Serena Sundell for the season - with a replacement this late now unlikely - suggests the Lightning are in for a rough ride from here. 

WNBL Round 5 played out as follows:

In Geelong, great defensive work by the Venom underpinned another fine home win, this time over Victorian derby rival Southside Melbourne.

Trailing 20-21 after the first period, Geelong grounded the Flyers to a meagre nine-point return in the second, then broke open the game with a 17-7 final period.

Import and MVP candidate Mackenzie Holmes again was huge with 20 points at 57 per cent, Lilly Rotunno continuing her quality form harassing Maddi Rocci, and Jaz Shelley whipping some absolute assist gems to grateful teammates.

The ability of Shelley and Gemma Potter to read opposition passes also was to the fore, the Venom forcing 24 turnovers, Rocci the worst offender with seven and Cayla George not far behind with five.

Isabelle Bourne was the only Flyer to flourish, her game-high 21 points at 59 per cent.

In Canberra, the Capitals produced easily their best game and also doled out the heaviest defeat of the season when they smashed Sydney by 40 points.

The Flames were a humiliating 5-of-27 from beyond the arc - for crying out loud, stop shooting threes! - and had 22 turnovers while the Caps capitalised and were clearly having fun.

Their 34-10 first quarter gave every indication of what was to come, as Sara Blicavs (17 points), Kadi Sissoko (14 points at 67 per cent), Jade Melbourne (14 points, 7 assists), Teige Morrell (10 and 10, plus 4 steals), and Nicole Munger (12 points at 50 per cent, three steals) led the way, running Sydney out of the building.

Zitina Aokuso's first start of the season ignited Canberra to a 10-0 sprint from the tip-off, her presence making an immediate difference with her seven points in less than four minutes of action in her lomng-awaited return from injury.

In Townsville, the Fire flattened Adelaide after halftime, Courtney Woods (19 points at 67 per cent, 3-of-4 threes, 3 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals) a major presence throughout, Miela Sowah also with 19 points, six players scoring in double figures.

Lightning looked likely across a first half when they threw everything they had at the home team, Dallas Loughridge leading the way en route to a career-high 26 points at 59 per cent, plus six assists.

Sania Feagin was slick in and around the keyway and Steph Talbot active as Adelaide backed up a 22-26 first quarter with a 21-21 second.

Trailing 43-47 at halftime, Adelaide, without key import Serena Sundell (ACL, out for the season), was simply unable to sustain its effort and energy levels against a wave of Fire rolling over them.

Alex Fowler's 17 points came at 88 per cent, and off the bench Lauren Cox and Lucy Olsen just provided too much depth for the Lightning to cope.

On the plus side, Loughridge won her excellent battle with Abbey Ellis, adding her scalp to those of Olivia Epoupa, Mikaela Cann and Jade Melbourne in recent weeks.

Bendigo hit Perth on its first road trip and kept the game alive throughout the first half.

But energy and effort plays from Anneli Maley (12 points, 16 rebounds, 2 steals) changed the game's complexion, the Lynx going 28-15 in the third period to put the contest out of reach.

Alex Ciabattoni's 16 points included a career-best 4-of-5 threes, Amy Atwell had 4-of-6 threes in her 21-point haul and Brianna Turner took it up to Spirit centre Marianna Tolo in what turned into a convincing victory.  

Round 5

Geelong Venom 66 (Holmes 20, Shelley 15, Rotunno 11; Sharp 11 rebs; Rotunno, Shelley 4 assts) d Southside Melbourne Flyers 54  (Bourne 21, Rocci, Peters 10; George 16 rebs; Rocci 5 assts) at The Strikehouse, Geelong Arena. Crowd: N/a

Canberra Capitals 96 (Blicavs 17, Sissoko, Melbourne 14, Munger 12, Morrell 10; Morrell 10 rebs; Melbourne 7 assts) d Sydney Flames 56 (Thompson 19, Nicholson 7; Swain 6 rebs; Nicholson, Swain 5 assts) at The Capitalist, AIS Arena. Crowd: 3,168

Townsville Fire 103 (Woods, Sowah 19, Fowler 17, Ellis 14, Cox, Olsen 11; Froling 8 rebs; Fowler, Woods 6 assts) d Adelaide Lightning 69 (Loughridge 26, Feagin, Talbot 14; Feagin 6 rebs; Loughridge 6 assts) at the Fire Station, Townsville Entertainment Centre. Crowd: 2,971

Perth Lynx 79 (Atwell 21, Ciabattoni 16, Turner, Maley 12; Maley 16 rebs; Wilson 10 assts) d Bendigo Spirit 64 (Borlase 16, McConnell 14; Griffin 9 rebs; Tolo, McConnell 3 assts) at The Larynx, Perth HP centre. Crowd: 907

Adelaide Lightning v Bendigo Spirit tomorrow at the Sparkhouse, State Basketball Centre