The Sydney club beat Perth-based rivals West Coast Fever 69-66 in the final round of regular-season fixtures on Saturday to claim top spot on the league ladder, and with it a home semi-final against the same opponents.
Guthrie won Commonwealth Games gold with England earlier this year and has now reiterated her desire to complete an unprecedented double at the top of world netball.
The Islander was on the losing side in the Super Netball Grand Final last year, as Giants finished well short against champions Sunshine Coast Lightning.
‘It’s great to be able to clinch the Minor Premiership, but this weekend is the game we want to win to give us a home Grand Final,’ said Guthrie.
‘It is a big confidence booster to beat Fever, of course, but the job’s not done. We still have our work on as a group … we just need to keep improving game by game.’
The winner of this weekend’s major semi-final at Sydney Olympic Park – between the top two in the regular season – will advance straight into the 2018 Grand Final. The losing side will get a second chance to progress, against the winner of the minor semi-final between Queensland Firebirds and Lightning [third vs fourth].
