A stunning 19-0 run in the dying stages of the Grand Final saw the Rockingham Flames go from three points down to beat the Cockburn Cougars 97-81 to win the NBL1 West championship at RAC Arena.
Both teams had outstanding seasons to set up the Grand Final match up with Rockingham winning the first 13 games before finishing on top at 18-2 and then winning through with two tough finals match ups over the Perry Lakes Hawks and Lakeside Lightning.
Cockburn was coming off a breakthrough championship triumph in 2023 and ended up in third place, but on the back of winning eight of the last nine games before two dominant finals wins over the Warwick Senators and then the Hawks.
It set the stage for the first ever Grand Final at RAC Arena and after a game of tremendous momentum swings, it was 19 straight points for Rockingham in the final minutes that secured them a fourth championship, and first since 2019.
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Rockingham captain Alex Sharp was named Grand Final MVP on the back of 19 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Remarkably in a game close most of the way, the Flames were +26 in her 33 minutes.
Jess Jakens was playing her 273rd game and celebrated with a first championship with 21 points and four rebounds while Nes'eya Parker-Williams stood tall for 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Robbi Ryan produced a powerful performance with 16 points, 11 rebounds and four assists with Georgia Pineau adding 11 points, six boards and four assists, Emma Gandini six points and six assists, Opal Mader three points and three rebounds, and Shani Amos three points and two assists.
Cockburn did appear in control for a lot of that evening until the last five minutes and Alex Ciabattoni was sensational with 30 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Co-captain Jewel Williams showed great toughness on an injured ankle to play 32:30 and hit three triples on the way to 14 points and two assists.
Steph Gorman also had 10 points and five rebounds for Cockburn, Maria Blazejewski 10 points and four boards, and Daniel Raber 10 points, 17 rebounds, six assists and three steals despite shooting 4/17 from the floor.
It was the perfect start to the Grand Final at RAC Arena with a triple from captain and two-time MVP Alex Sharp. Her former Perth Lynx teammate Robbi Ryan then scored for the Flames to be up 5-0.
Cockburn responded firstly with their first six points courtesy of Alex Ciabattoni before another seasoned veteran with championship experience, Maria Blazejewski managed the next five points too for the Cougars to put them in front 11-8.
Steph Gorman then knocked down a triple for Cockburn only to be answered up the other end by Emma Gandini in what an exciting seesaw opening to the contest.
It was then the Cougars who were able to finish the opening period strongly with a 12-3 run that included two more buckets to Ciabattoni who had 10 first quarter points and Cockburn was up 29-19 by the end of one.
Cockburn was able to maintain that double-figure lead by midway through the second quarter too before Rockingham began working back into it beginning with a triple from 291-game veteran Shani Amos.
It was then 273-game veteran forward Jess Jakens able to convert an and-one, and Opal Mader knocked down a three-pointer and Rockingham had closed it to just a one-point deficit by the half-time break.
Cockburn opened the second half with a 7-2 run to led by six once more but then Rockingham answered with 12 consecutive points including a three ball from Emma Gandini to turn that deficit into their own six-point advantage.
Williams, who was playing through a sore ankle bravely that likely would have had her sidelined had it not been a Grand Final, and came up huge with two straight threes in response with the Cougars retaking the lead.
The momentum swings continued and by three quarter-time, it was Rockingham clinging to a two-point advantage.
Sharp and Nes'eya Parker-Williams opened the final term with three balls for the Flames too, but Daniel Raber responded with a triple of her own to keep the Cougars within a point.
Ciabattoni then helped Cockburn out to a four-point lead and when Blazejewski scored again, the Cougars were still leading by three points with five minutes to go.
However, from that point the Flames made the championship defining run in the most spectacular fashion by scoring the next 19 points over the space of four minutes.
As part of that 19-0 run, Jakens scored nine of them in her second straight Grand Final since leaving the Perth Redbacks firstly for the Willetton Tigers in 2023 and now to be part of a championship in 2024.
It was an incredible finish to the Grand Final with that 19-0 run for Rockingham to make history inside RAC Arena.
ROCKINGHAM FLAMES 97 (Jakens 21, Sharp 19, Parker-Williams 18)
COCKBURN COUGARS 81 (Ciabattoni 30, Williams 14, Gorman 10, Blazejewski 10, Raber 10)
Grand Final MVP: Alex Sharp (Rockingham)
