The Townsville Fire have claimed the WNBL Championship, defeating the Perth Lynx 108-105 in overtime to wrap up the grand final series in the second game. The victory completes the Fire's dominant season, in which they were minor premiers.
Captain Courtney Woods led by example with a career-high 28 points, along with eight rebounds and seven assists, despite copping an elbow to the head during the third quarter. Alicia Froling added 25 points and eight rebounds, while Miela Sowah contributed 18 points, including a three-pointer to tie the scores with 3.7 seconds remaining in regulation time and a crucial basket with 7.4 seconds left in overtime.
The Lynx, hoping to win their first WNBL title in 34 years, started emphatically in front of a sold-out crowd in Perth, leading by six points at quarter-time. However, the Fire weathered the storm in a game that featured a staggering 41 lead changes.
Anneli Maley recorded another double-double for the Lynx with 27 points and 19 rebounds, while Han Xu had 18 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. The loss marks the Lynx's third grand-final series defeat in five years after finishing runner-up in 2022 and 2024.
The Fire lost to Bendigo Spirit in last season's grand final series but bounced back to secure their second title in four years.
