Not only have the Knox Raiders added the National Finals championship to the NBL1 South title they won, but have now handed the Cockburn Cougars of NBL1 West a first loss of 2025 just as they did to Geelong United two weeks ago. Knox handed Geelong a first loss of the 2025 NBL1 South season a fortnight ago in the Grand Final to win the championship and book in their place at the National Finals in Canberra before advancing to the Championship Game with wins against the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and Waverley Falcons. Cockburn booked their place in the National Finals with a remarkably dominant NBL1 West season winning all 20 of their regular season games and then cruising to the Grand Final win last Saturday night against the Warwick Senators at RAC Arena. The Cougars had averaged scoring 97.7 points a game in their 23 NBL1 West wins with an average winning margin of 31.1 points before then putting up 132 and 89 points to start the National Finals in wins over the Woodville Warriors and Logan Thunder. Cockburn were without import big Danielle Raber (183-F-1996) and college-bound young gun Amelia Corasaniti (G). In the end it was the depth, experience and all-round quality of Knox that proved too much with a 47-30 second half including a 14-0 third quarter run to secure the championship. On the way to winning the NBL1 South and National Finals championships by beating undefeated teams Geelong and Cockburn, the Raiders have won 17 straight games themselves including not losing since adding Kristy Wallace (180-PG-1996, college: Baylor, agency: LBM Management) and Agnes Emma-Nnopu (180-G-2001, college: TCU). What makes this Knox team so special is that any number of players could have won the Championship Game MVP award but it went to Paige Bradley (178-G-1994, college: Denver) who finished with 15 points, nine assists and five rebounds. She had plenty of help too including Rachel Bell showing terrific toughness to play through a shoulder injury for 14 points and four rebounds. Agnes Emma-Nnopu added 13 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots, captain Kiera Glover (nee Rowe) 13 points and three boards with 4/6 three-point shooting, and Kristy Wallace 11 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. It didn’t end there with Katelyn Young (185-F-2002, college: Murray St., agency: Next Page Sports) also contributing 10 points and six rebounds, Alicia Froling (190-F-1996, college: SMU) 10 points, six boards and two assists, and Paige Burrows (168-SF-2005) five points, six assists and two rebounds. It was a tough way for Cockburn to suffer a first loss of 2025 at the final hurdle with Jessie Edwards (193-C-1995, college: Minnesota) doing all she could with 28 points, 14 rebounds and four assists before fouling out. Stephanie Gorman (183-G-2000, college: San Diego) and Jewel Williams (168-G-2001) have provided a lethal back court for Cockburn not only this season but the last three years, but they did only combine for two points in the entire second half. Gorman ended up with 16 points, four assists and three rebounds with Williams adding 11 points, eight assists and five boards. Danish import Sarah Mortensen (185-G/F-1997, college: Villanova) ended up with 15 points and eight rebounds but the depth in the end just wasn’t there for the Cougars. Cockburn leaders Jewel Williams and Jessie Edwards combined for their team's first seven points for the early 7-3 lead which turned into 11-5 when Stephanie Gorman knocked down a three-pointer. Knox would soon lose Bell to a shoulder injury and it was Williams who took charge for the Cougars. She has always been capable of putting up points in a hurry in her 174-game NBL1 West career, but she had nine first half assists on Saturday and 13 for the game. But Williams put up 11 points in the first quarter for Cockburn with a couple of three-pointers to be leading 24-20 even with Gorman having picked up her third foul in the opening 10 minutes. The Cougars were back out to a seven-point lead halfway through the second quarter but Knox were then able to work on top starting with a three-point thanks to championship captain Kiera Glover. Bell was then inspirational for the Raiders coming back on after what appeared a dislocated shoulder in that first quarter, and she had 12 points to her name by half-time as did Paige Bradley. That saw Knox leading 46-42 by the half-time break even with Gorman having come back on in that second quarter for Cockburn despite the three fouls and going into the half with 14 points on 4/4 three-point shooting. The game might have been right up for grabs going into half-time, but it was a total domination from Knox in the second half starting in the third quarter when they went on a 14-0 scoring run. The Raiders ended up with 25 points to 13 on the back of shooting 9/17 from the field and 4/6 from downtown in the third period to just 5/21 and 1/8 from the Cougars. In the end, when Edwards got in foul trouble for Cockburn their lack of size in the absence of Israeli import Danielle Raber proved a big factor and they just didn’t have the size of physicality to deal with Knox. And once the Raiders had the game on their terms, just as they did in the NBL1 South Grand Final against Geelong, they weren’t going to let it slip. Knox delivered another 22 points to 17 in the fourth quarter too to end up leading by as much as 22 points and to secure the 21-point win. And not only have the Raiders now won both the NBL1 South and NBL1 National Finals championships, but to claim both trophies they did it by beating Geelong and Cockburn teams who had not lost before that in all of 2025.
Courtesy of: nbl1.com.au