You have the two standout teams in the women's NBL1 West for 2024, the Rockingham Flames and Cockburn Cougars, and then two fairytale stories in the men's, the Willetton Tigers and Mandurah Magic, and it points to a fascinating Grand Final double at RAC Arena.
The NBL1 West Grand Finals will be held as a double-header inside RAC Arena on Saturday for the first time with the women's contest starting at 4.30pm with the men's clash to follow at 7pm.
Given the standout seasons both the Flames and Cougars have had in the women's competition, it's going to be a battle to savour to start proceedings before the Tigers and Magic then hit the floor coming off the most remarkable bounce back performances last weekend to make it.
WOMEN
The Rockingham Flames and Cockburn Cougars have had their turns dominating the 2024 NBL1 West women's season and now they meet in a highly anticipated Grand Final battle.
The Flames won their first 13 games of the season and ended up finishing in top spot at 18-2 before overcoming the Perry Lakes Hawks and Lakeside Lightning in two tough finals match ups to reach the decider at RAC Arena.
The Cougars are the defending champions and warmed into the season nicely to end up finishing the regular season winning eight of the last nine matches. The lone loss in that stretch was by a solitary point having overcome an 18-point deficit to Rockingham.
Cockburn then dominated their two finals to beat the Warwick Senators and Perry Lakes Hawks by a combined 39 points to now advance to a second straight Grand Final to attempt to go back-to-back.
Rockingham is in its fifth women's Grand Final and first since winning in 2019 which was a third championship in the space of six years.
Making the contest all the more fascinating is the blend of huge talent and experience on either side.
In the back court alone, there will be Robbi Ryan, Emma Gandini and Shani Amos from the Flames up against the Cougars superstar trio of Jewel Williams, Alex Ciabattoni and Steph Gorman.
Then up front, Rockingham is powered by Nes'eya Parker-Williams, Georgia Pineau and Jess Jakes while Cockburn possesses Daniel Raber and Jessie Edwards.
You then have the versatility from the Flames with two-time MVP Alex Sharp and Opal Mader up against the likes Maria Blazejewski and Regan Turnour-McCarty from the Cougars.
WONG PROUD FLAMES PLAYERS GET REWARD OF GRAND FINAL
Rockingham coach Marcus Wong is in his first season at the Flames and third in total in the NBL1 West to now be in a first Grand Final, and he's looking forward to the challenge Cockburn presents.
"They're playing some really good basketball at the right time of the season and I honestly think Cockburn are the best team in the competition when they've got their full team on the floor," Wong said.
"We've been a bit lucky in the games we've played them where we've had two 20-point leads that ended up in very close games and we know that it's going to really tough.
"We know what a great team they are and how well coached they are, and it's a really tough game we have ahead of us as a Grand Final should be.
"We will have to play our best basketball, we need to come out and play like we were earlier in the season and get back to that if we want to win. We know we're in for a tough fight and hopefully we can prepare right, and be ready to go."
THWAITES HAPPY COUGARS ARE AT BEST AT RIGHT TIME
Cockburn coach Tyrone Thwaites took the Cougars to the championship last season and was Coach of the Year, but he knows that the challenge of taking down Rockingham in the Grand Final is a significant one.
"I think it's the best outcome for WA basketball and they have been the talk of the town for the better part of eight or nine months now," Thwaites said.
"We said from the start it's a wonderful thing for us to come off a championship and to have the attention diverted elsewhere.
"Credit to Rockingham for dealing with it really well, it looks like it galvanised them and they have great chemistry as a group. You don't finish 18-2 unless you get along well and are playing great basketball.
"They've also been challenged the last couple of weeks which is a really good thing for them because it generally focuses you that little bit more on the little details you need to remedy.
"It's going to be a fun one and I think it's what the sport deserves, and there'll be one very disappointed and one very happy club on the weekend. It could go either way."
GANDINI EMBRACING PLAYER BOND WITH FLAMES
Flames two-time championship winning guard Emma Gandini is in her first season in Rockingham, but a fifth Grand Final overall and is looking forward to the decider against the Cougars.
"I think it's going to be a really tough game and to be fair, I'm sort of surprised they only finished third and they were probably in lucky in some of those games they lost including against us," Gandini said.
"They probably have the best team this year but I'm feeling pretty good about our chances. In our last two games we did struggle in some areas so we're just focused on trying to clean those up at training this week so we can go in feeling good on Saturday.
"It should be a really exciting game either way for everyone to watch."
CHIBBA’S AMAZING RETURN AS A MUM CONTINUES AT COUGARS
Cougars championship winning guard Alex Ciabattoni won her title back in 2019 back in Rockingham, but she wants to be part of beating her former team this time around.
"I think it's always great when you see the two deserving teams make the Grand Final," Ciabattoni said.
"Having lost to them twice this season, it is great that we get another chance and hopefully we can come out and use those losses as that bit of extra motivation.
"We know it will be tough but we know we can't afford to give them another 17-point head start, and then hopefully stick with them and come out on the right side this time."
MEN
Both teams finished third and fourth, each lost their qualifying final and now enter Saturday night's Grand Final on the ultimate highs after a double win weekend setting up a mouth watering decider between the Willetton Tigers and Mandurah Magic.
While Willetton and Mandurah did finish inside the top four, they were both up against it after losing the qualifying finals against the Joondalup Wolves and Geraldton Buccaneers respectively.
History was against both clubs too with the Tigers having won just the lone championship in 2010 which was also their last Grand Final appearance while having not won a final of any kind since the quarter finals of 2017.
Then there's the Magic who have never previously reached a Grand Final in the men's competition and were coming off a two-win season in 2023.
However, the belief within both playing groups is what shone through last weekend along with some unbelievable individual performances.
Willetton found itself 19 points down against Rockingham in the semi-final on Thursday night, but Marshall Nelson then took over the contest with an incredible 48 points to get them on the bus to Geraldton.
The Tigers then produced a brilliant all-round performance to open up a 31-point lead before holding out a Buccs team who had finished four games clear in top spot on the back of winning last year's championship.
The Magic then were too strong in front of a sold out Mandurah crowd on Friday for the Goldfields Giants, but it then took something special to beat the Wolfpack in overtime at HBF Arena on Sunday.
MVP Joel Murray produced just that with 40 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and the Magic booked their ticket to a first ever Grand Final which just happens to be at RAC Arena and up against a Willetton team in their first decider in 14 years.
Both teams are anything but one-man shows either although Murray and Nelson now enter the Grand Final in blistering form and that contest will be worth the price of admission alone.
However, Willetton also has a strong big man duo in the form of Michael Vigor and Deng Gak, Nelson is joined in the back court by Damien Scott and Michael Dupree, and they receive strong contributions from Roosevelt Williams Jr, Tom Gerovich and captain Andrew Black.
Mandurah might have the MVP in Murray, but also the Defensive Player of the Year inside with Michael Durr along Lachlan Bertram sharing the back court with Murray, Julian Pesava on the wing and the shooting threat of Jarrod Molnar.
NENER GETS MONKEY OFF BACK AS TIGERS REACH DECIDER
Willetton coach Adam Nener is in his seventh season as a head coach, and won his first final last Thursday night, then backed it up against Geraldton with the Tigers advancing to take on the Magic after beating the last two champions inside 48 hours.
"It will be pretty cool don't get me wrong, but I'm definitely not getting too far ahead of myself and know the job we still have ahead of us," Nener said.
"I am a little bit of a superstitious person but we'll see how it all plays out. Mandurah have had a terrific season themselves and we're going against the MVP of the league, the Defensive Player of the Year and the Youth Player of the Year.
"So we know what we're up against and we have to lock in and execute our scout and game plan like we have the last two games, and most of the season. We'll see where that takes us."
UTLEY'S 35-YEAR DEDICATION REACHES HIGH POINT WITH MAGIC
Mandurah coach Mark Utley has dedicated so much of his life on and off the court to either the SBL or NBL1 West, and now gets the chance to coach in a first Grand Final and is glad it happens to be against Nener and Willetton.
"I'm really pleased for Adam and for Willetton. They have worked hard on what they do but we would have happily played anyone," Utley said.
"We would have been happy to play the Buccs again because we played them last week without Lachie and Julian in Geraldton, and Joel was really sick as well and he wasn’t his usual self.
"Jermaine Malie hadn’t got out of bed that whole week either and we still flew them up there, and lost by six so we were willing to play the Buccs again.
"Willetton has some people like Damien Scott, Marshall Nelson and Michael Vigor who are super dangerous, and either way whoever we played, we just want to play now on Saturday night.
"We just want the ball to be thrown up and then get to business. We don’t think about who we play, we know that we have the structures to do well and we have such a belief that we can win from anywhere, and we showed that on Sunday."
DECADE OF DEDICATION SEES SCOTT BACK IN GRAND FINAL
Tigers 350-game championship winner Damien Scott did win a title way back in 2012 at the Cockburn Cougars, but has been with Willetton since 2015 trying to get this opportunity.
He knows how tough Mandurah will be though.
"They're an absolutely talented team and they are a talented bunch of guys and we know that they can put points on the board pretty quick," Scott said.
"They also have an amazing rim protector inside with Durr so we know they are a great squad and it's going to be fun taking them on. It's going to be a good challenge that's for sure."
PESAVA’S FAITH IN MAGIC’S VISION ENDS UP JUSTIFIED
Magic 152-game championship winner Julian Pesava also won his title at Cockburn back in 2016, but he can't hide his excitement now to be with Mandurah and going to a Grand Final at RAC Arena.
"It's nice that it's the first time at RAC and that we're taking part in that. I feel very grateful for that opportunity and can't wait to get out there," Pesava said.
"It's going to be an amazing experience to be part of and this will definitely be a highlight of my career just to get to play there. It's something to remember for sure and I look forward to it."
