Feature image via: Cam Brown
After a slow start to the season, the Waverley Falcons have pulled off a 10-game win streak leading into Saturday’s NBL1 South Grand Final.
The Falcons went under the radar to start the season, likely due to their poor start with a 3-8 record after Round 7. They’ve gone on to shock the conference by pulling off a miraculous turnaround into the Finals.
Due to the dominance of Knox, Mount Gambier, Dandenong and their Grand Final opponent, Keilor, almost no one would have expected the seventh-seeded team to make it this far.
However, Bec Cole explained that the team rallied to make their Finals push, and their momentum never truly stopped.
“I knew it was just a matter of time before we found our flow,” she told NBL Media.
“I remember at one stage, we had to win every single game and I think we did, bar one, and that was the only one we were able to lose. It’s been pretty impressive by the Falcons girls, that’s for sure.”
With the confidence of this streak, Cole explained her Falcons felt like the underdogs heading into the Finals – giving them the fuel to take down their opponents by an average of 18.3 points across the three do-or-die games.
“To be honest, I feel like everyone probably disrespected us a little bit,” she said.
“(They) didn’t really think a whole lot of us, which, fairness in the first half of the season they were probably right. But once we clicked, we were a whole different team. I think we are a team you play that other teams are not quite sure what we’re gonna bring.
“You’re not really sure how we’re gonna play or what we’re gonna do, because we read off each other a lot of the time.”
The runners-up from the 2023 Grand Final are stacked with talented veterans.
Bec Cole, Carley Ersnt and Amelia Todhunter all have extensive WNBL experience, Orla O’Reilly has played for the Irish National Team and McKenzie Forbes is a WNBA draft pick – combining to make a deep roster alongside their young core.
Speaking of talent, they’ll be going up against one of the most talented teams on paper in NBL1 history, featuring MVP-favourite Isabelle Bourne, Tall Fern Penina Davidson and Cole’s WNBL teammate Maddy Rocci.
Cole said it should be a fiery clash between the two guards.
“Maddy’s one of my best mates, I guess white line fever when we’re on there,” she said.
“We wanna be the ones who come out on top, but off the court, it’s all love.”
With their hot form, Cole said the team is as confident as ever – looking to finish off last season’s unfinished business.
“If we play the way we have been for he last month and a half, I feel like we can really beat anyone,” she said.
“It’s finals, so you have to show up, It’s not given to you. But I feel like we have a great team, great players and a staff to be able to get it done. So I’m definitely backing us all the way.”
Can the Waverley Falcons win it all? Tune in for the NBL1 South Grand Final on Saturday, from 4:00pm AEST streaming live and free via Kayo Freebies.
