Katie Mack's off-season of negotiations could prove the key to Perth claiming a second WBBL crown, with the opener's career talks on track to pay dividends.
One of the few professional players in Australian cricket not to contract an agent, Mack negotiated her own deals with not one but two separate teams in 2025.
Firmly entrenched in ACT in 50-over cricket and Adelaide in the WBBL, Mack jokes that a "mid-life crisis" prompted her to work on separate moves to NSW and the Scorchers.
And while NSW remain firmly in the hunt for a WNCL title, Mack will play her fourth WBBL final in five years as the Scorchers take on Hobart on Saturday night.
"I had a couple of months of very difficult conversations," Mack told AAP.
"It was really tough to make both those calls and have conversations with both teams. But with Big Bash it is a franchise, ultimately.
"And I have been on the other end of the stick, where people don't want you and they just don't contract you."
Let go by the Melbourne Stars after the fourth edition of the WBBL, Mack was forced to put herself on the market before she was offered a lifeline by Adelaide.
She was then the Strikers' leading run-scorer on their way to the first of two straight titles in 2022, before Perth went all in on the 32-year-old for this summer.
"I've never had a manager," Mack said.
"It started when our contracts weren't much and I was like I don't want to give anyone my money.
"And now I think I ultimately enjoy having the conversations and I can speak for myself and get my point across. And people have to say what they think to my face.
"You get really honest conversations, and I like to think it puts me in a better place. And it's a good life experience."
Mack's move to NSW in the WNCL marked a return home, having grown up in Sydney before heading to Canberra for opportunities.
With Perth in the WBBL, the conversations largely centred around the Scorchers' desire to land a left-handed opener to partner the WBBL's best bat in Beth Mooney.
Mack has found form when it matters most for the Scorchers, with scores of 52 and 40 in big opening stands with Mooney in the two knockout finals wins.
Another big start could be key on Saturday night, with Scorcher hunting their second title and Hobart their first with both being big-scoring teams.
"She's been huge," Mooney said.
"She has obviously scored really good runs through her WBBL career and she's got really good plans.
"We probably hit to different areas which doesn't help opponents too much.
'"And the left-right-hand combination is a real think in T20 cricket, trying to have a left-hander out there as much as you can."
