Women's Grand Final Preview – Cockburn Cougars v Willetton Tigers

The Cockburn Cougars and Willetton Tigers might have a strong local rivalry but Friday night will present the first time they meet in an NBL1 West Grand Final with the women's 2023 championship at stake at a sold out Bendat Basketball Centre.

There's little doubt that the Cougars and Tigers have been the standout teams in the competition this NBL1 West season so it's only fitting they will now be meeting not only with the championship at stake, but also a spot at next week's National Finals at Joondalup.

Setting the stage for the Grand Final and Cockburn has won eight of its last nine games with the only loss in that stretch coming against Willetton while the Tigers enter Friday night's decider on a 13-game winning streak including two dramatic finals victories.

It's a first ever women's Grand Final appearance for the Cougars who have been in the SBL/NBL1 competition since 1989 while the Tigers are looking to continue their standing as the best performing team on the women's side.

Friday night is a third straight Grand Final appearance for Willetton after winning the championship in 2021 and losing last year to the Warwick Senators on the back of titles also in 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2016.

Cockburn might be in a first Grand Final and Willetton in a 16th but all signs are pointing to a contest to remember on Friday night with a sold out crowd at Bendat Basketball Centre to greet the occasion.

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The rivalry between Cockburn and Willetton sells itself in so many ways but the story of how both teams got to the Grand Final is a fascinating one.

In a lot of ways, it all started in last year's semi-final where Willetton defeated Cockburn before going on to reach a second straight Grand Final while leaving the Cougars to plan for next year.

Cockburn was able to keep important players for 2023 including captain Kirsty Whitfield, point guard Jewel Williams and centre Jessie Edwards, but the additions of Sarah Mortensen, Steph Gorman and Patty Brossmann have proved massive.

Mortensen had a season where she was runner-up MVP and named to the All-First Team, Gorman was Best Defensive Player and earned a WNBL contract at the Perth Lynx, and Brossmann arrived mid-season to add that extra big with her toughness, rebounding and presence.

Add in the excitement from teenage guards Amelia Corasaniti and Kinley Paterson, and the Cougars won 18 of 20 games during the season, won their two finals and now have a Grand Final on Friday night to prepare for with Coach of the Year Thwaites at the helm.

However, what awaits them is a tough Willetton opponent led by its own two-time championship winning coach Simon Parker who has now taken the Tigers to three straight Grand Finals.

It's a Willetton team featuring two-time MVP Alex Sharp, championship winning captain Desiree Kelley and gun import Melisa Brcaninovic who are ably supported by Jess Jakens, Amy Jacobs, Sophie Doran, Grace Foster and Kiara Waite.

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Since that meeting in the semi finals last year, the two teams met twice this season starting in Round 1 where the Cougars were able to take full advantage of a shorthanded Tigers team to win 97-55 at Wally Hagan Stadium.

The tide was turned just over a month ago at Willetton Basketball Stadium with the Tigers winning 98-73 in what was part of their current 13-game winning run, and is the last loss the Cougars have suffered in 2023.

Either way, it's hard to imagine a 42 or 25-point margin in Friday night's Grand Final now between the same two teams.

While Cockburn captain Kirsty Whitfield has always had confidence of what this Cougars team of 2023 was capable of, to actually have made it to a Grand Final now and to have the chance to win the first championship and make the National Finals is still a pinch yourself moment.

However, what she is doing is making sure she embraces everything about the occasion now that she has got to be part of a Grand Final for the first time.

"It's pretty surreal, it's very exciting and I think I'm just really looking forward to getting out there and absorbing the atmosphere, and absorbing what it is to be there in a finals game in finals week. We've obviously never done it before so it's surreal and very exciting to be there," she said.

"I'm definitely feeling excited now for Friday night and am thinking about it. I spoke to Grant Davey who was the championship captain in 2012 and he told me to make sure I enjoy the week because you don't know if you will ever get another chance. It was really nice for him to say to just absorb it, enjoy it, have fun and I've been doing that. I haven’t been nervous, I've just been really excited."

Whitfield has dreamed of what it would be like to prepare for a Grand Final since starting her career back in 2008, but now that it's here she is making sure to embrace everything about the week leading up to Friday night.

"I haven’t thought about that side of it too much, but now that you've brought it up, I just keep smiling and I'm pretty excited about it all," Whitfield said. 

"It's going to be a really exciting game and Willetton have been there before so they know what it's all about, but it's new for us. It's going to be really exciting and I'm looking forward to how we absorb it all, take on the pressure and hopefully we can execute our scout and put on a really good performance for everyone."

With the build up to the Grand Final continuing and getting stronger the longer the week goes, Tigers forward Amy Jacobs can't wait to now just get to Bendat Basketball Centre on Friday night and experience the sold out crowd with the championship at stake.

"I am really excited, I think that goes without saying. It's pretty rare to get to play in a Grand Final so I'm very excited about it and also very nervous too and I feel like Friday can't come fast enough," Jacobs said. 

"I know I have a huge support system coming to the game and I know a lot of other people have huge support systems coming too so it's just really exciting to get to play at such a high level in front of so many family and friends."

Whether it was at Lakeside or now with Willetton, Cockburn is a natural rival for Jacobs so as a result she can't wait to do battle with them especially in Friday night's Grand Final.

"I'm really excited to play against them," she said.

"I feel like both our teams have had really great seasons so to continue that on in the Grand Final for both teams is really exciting. I think it's going to be a really competitive game and they have some great players, but we do as well so I'm going to really enjoy it."