Knox W vs Waverley W

Knox led 19–12 after the first quarter and never looked back. Their defensive pressure forced Waverley into difficult shots and generated 12 fast-break points in the second quarter alone, stretching the lead to 45–27 by half-time. The Raiders shot 49 per cent from the field in the first half compared to Waverley's 33 per cent, and converted six of seven free throws.

Waverley, who had reached their second Grand Final in three years despite losing front-court pair Sophia Locandro and Maddi Utti, battled hard in the third quarter. Carley Ernst — back from maternity leave — hit a couple of three-pointers to keep the Falcons within range, but Knox still extended the margin to 64–43 by three-quarter time.

The Raiders put the result beyond doubt by scoring the first eight points of the fourth quarter, including three-pointers from 200-plus game veteran Leah Santomaggio and Paige Burrows. Knox led by as many as 28 before closing out the 26-point victory.

The game was effectively decided in the second quarter. After a competitive opening period, Knox's full-court pressure and transition game overwhelmed Waverley. The Raiders scored 26 points in the second term — 12 on the fast break — turning a seven-point lead into an 18-point half-time advantage that the Falcons could not dent.

Paige Bradley (Knox) — Grand Final MVP. The point guard finished with 20 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks on 9-of-14 shooting from the field. She controlled the tempo at both ends and was the clear difference-maker.

Alicia Froling (Knox) — A dominant double-double of 15 points and 15 rebounds, providing an interior presence that Waverley had no answer for.

Agnes Emma-Nnopu (Knox) — 11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks in a well-rounded performance that typified Knox's defensive intensity.

Rachel Bell (Knox) — 11 points and 5 rebounds, contributing efficient scoring from the perimeter.

Carley Ernst (Waverley) — The veteran top-scored for the Falcons with 12 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds, showing trademark fight in a losing cause.

Katelyn Shumate (Waverley) — 10 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in a solid all-court display.

Knox shot 43 per cent from the field to Waverley's 32 per cent, a gap that reflects sustained defensive pressure rather than simply hot shooting. The Raiders made 11 of 30 three-point attempts (36.7 per cent) while holding the Falcons to 5 of 19 (26.3 per cent). Knox committed just four turnovers for the entire game — an extraordinarily disciplined number in a Grand Final — while forcing Waverley into double-digit giveaways that fuelled their transition game.

The 80–54 scoreline understates Knox's dominance: they led by double digits from early in the second quarter and held Waverley under 15 points in three of the four quarters.

Knox, who have now won back-to-back NBL1 South titles on top of SEABL championships in 1992, 1994, 1996 and 2013, head to the NBL1 National Finals in Adelaide next week as strong favourites to defend their national crown. The Raiders had won 15 consecutive matches entering the Grand Final and made it 16 with this result.

Waverley also qualify for the National Finals, where they will aim to regroup after a 26-point defeat. The Falcons reached a second Grand Final in three seasons despite significant roster disruption, a testament to their resilience under pressure.

This was a statement performance from a Knox team operating at full power. Bradley's MVP display capped a complete team effort built on suffocating defence, rapid transition and remarkably clean ball-handling. Waverley lacked the front-court depth to compete on the boards and had no answers for Knox's pressure. The Raiders enter the National Finals as the team to beat — and on this evidence, beating them will take something special.