NBL1 West Recap | Women's Grand Final

The Warwick Senators have ended the 2022 NBL1 West season by winning 18 matches in-a-row to end their 28-year championship drought with an emphatic 87-61 victory against the Willetton Tigers.

The Senators entered Friday night's Grand Final at Bendat Basketball Centre in a hot run of form having won 17 matches to make it to the club's sixth women's Grand Final as they attempted to win a second championship, and first since 1994.

Standing in their way was the reigning champion Tigers who were shooting for a 10th championship, but right from the outset on Friday night the Senators stamped themselves on the contest and weren’t to be denied.

Two-time MVP Stacey Barr and gun import forward Leonie Fiebich set up the championship triumph by combining for 33 points in the first half with the Senators going into the major break leading by 16.

That lead grew to as much as 30 during the second half with Warwick going on to win by 26 to win their first championship since 1994 in style.

First-year German import Fiebich was awarded the Grand Final MVP award on the back of 21 points, 10 rebounds and three assists while nailing 9/11 from the floor.

On the back of winning her second MVP award this season, Barr delivered another 23 points, nine assists, six rebounds and three steals in the Grand Final as well to earn her first NBL1 West championship.

It's a remarkable story for Senators captain Nicole Jorre de St Jorre to lead her team to the championship in the 439th game of her career that began back in 1999 at the Swan City Mustangs. She produced eight points and six assists in the Grand Final too.

Young Perth Lynx WNBL star Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard also had 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Senators while Nat Burton showed all of her class and experience to win another championship in her first season with Warwick.

Having had a glittering WNBL, European and Australian Opals career, Burton backed up her championship at the Perry Lakes Hawks by helping the Senators to the win with 11 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two assists.

Emma Berryman got her long-awaited title too 366 games into her career while scoring four points late with Hayley Alone hitting a late triple too while Chloe Forster contributed two points, five assists and three rebounds.

Jonelle Morley deserves terrific credit for her coaching performance in 2022 as well in her second year in charge at the Senators. 

After a couple of early losses in the season to the Joondalup Wolves and Willetton, Warwick never lost again winning the last 15 games of the regular season before finals wins over the Tigers and Mandurah Magic before capping off the 18-game winning run in the Grand Final.

It will be a tough Grand Final loss to swallow for the Tigers but they deserve to be proud of their performance to win twice last weekend just to make it on the back of last year's championship.

Former Senator Tayla Hepburn put up 16 points and five rebounds for Willetton while Emma Gandini contributed 12 points and three steals, Sophie Doran eight points and four assists, and Alex Sharp nine points, five boards, four assists and three steals.

Sam Lubcke also had eight points and eight rebounds but the Tigers did sorely miss point guard Hayley Winter after she went down injured last Thursday night against Cockburn.

Stacey Barr and Nat Burton opened the game with a couple of big baskets but then Willetton steadied with a three ball from Alex Sharp. 

However, the Senators had come ready to make an early statement and forced a couple of poor turnovers on Willetton that turned into layups to Burton and Leonie Fiebich and suddenly Warwick was out to an 11-3 start.

Nicole Jorre de St Jorre then made it 13-3 before Warwick's lead soon got out to 13 after a pair of free throws from Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard. 

Just as Willetton showed some signs of life with a three ball from Emma Gandini, Fiebich scored going to the basket on the next two possessions to push the lead out to 14 and the Senators were still on top 28-16 by quarter-time.

Fiebich then opened the second term by knocking down a three-pointer to push the margin out to 15 again and when Barr also hit from beyond the arc it was out to 18. Chloe Forster made it 20 and Willetton had to dig deep to avoid the game being over by half-time.

A couple of quick scores from Sam Lubcke and Tayla Hepburn did steady the reigning champs but Warwick continued to have all the answers and still went into half-time in control leading 46-30.

Gandini did hit an early three to start the second half to breathe some life into a Willetton fightback, but it just wasn’t going to happen. Warwick continued to have all the answers and by three quarter-time they had extended their lead to 69-49.

There was to be no miracle fourth quarter fightback from the defending champions either and when Clinch Hoycard drained a three-pointer the lead was out to a game-high 25 points.

Hayley Alone then had her own Grand Final moment by nailing a triple to make it a 30-point ball game and then 366-game veteran Emma Berryman hit the floor to score in the paint too, and the Senators broke their title drought by ending up winning 87-61.

Not only have the Senators now won their first championship since 1994 but they will get to represent the NBL1 West at next week's National Finals in Melbourne.

NBL1 WEST WOMEN'S GRAND FINAL 2022

WARWICK SENATORS 87 (Barr 23, Fiebich 21, Clinch Hoycard 15)

WILLETTON TIGERS 61 (Hepburn 16, Gandini 12, Sharp 9) 

Grand Final MVP: Leonie Fiebich

BOX SCORE