The Albury-Wodonga Bandits Journey to NBL1 National Finals

With so many talented teams coming into the Coles Express NBL1 National Final, here is the recap of how the Albury-Wodonga Bandits got here! 

Get your tickets to watch the Bandits this weekend here. 

The Albury-Wodonga Bandits had a fairy-tale season, moving into NBL1 East and signing home-town hero and the Greatest of All Time, Lauren Jackson. Of course, it was going to end with a championship.

Light work ?

Lauren Jackson had 4??0?? PTS and 2??5?? REB in @NBL1 today to cap off her historic week ?#FIBAWWC x @BasketballAus ??pic.twitter.com/wCMau7yWTD

— FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWWC) August 13, 2022

The Bandits missed Jackson for a significant chunk of the season with Opals duties, but they still managed to finish on top of the NBL1 East ladder. This was partly due to the mid-season signing of American import big Unique Thompson; she immediately filled Jackson’s shoes and when the two played together they were unstoppable.

Their point guard and All-Star Five member Ai Yamada was the glue that held the team together, averaging 20 points and six assists throughout the season. She was able to control the offence and stabilise the team through an ever-changing roster.

Due to having the first seed in the East, the Bandits automatically advanced to the Semi-Finals, where they beat the Norths Bears 85-78. It was a classic performance from Jackson who had 32 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks.
In the Grand Final, the Bandits defeated the Sutherland Sharks, as Unique Thompson was named Finals MVP with 24 points and 11 rebounds to secure the title for the Bandits.

They will face the champions of the NBL1 South the Ringwood Hawks on Friday.

Feature image via: Steven Markham, Basketball NSW