Grand Final: Cougars vs Raiders for all the marbles

• Listed: All 92 games of the 2025-26 WNBL season
• Super 6: Biggest must-see games of WNBL26
• 2025-26 WNBL Team Lists and Roster Tracker

Alicia Froling's Knox Raiders will go head to head with the unbeaten Cockburn Cougars for the 2025 NBL1 Women's National Championship after the Victorian club beat city rival Waverley and the NBL1 West Champion Cougars hammered NBL1 North champions Logan.

On the men's side, Geraldton Buccaneers take on home team Canberra Gunners.

Women's Grand Final: Knox Raiders vs Cockburn Cougars — 11am on Sunday, August 31, 2025

Preliminary Final 1: Knox Raiders 62 def. Waverley Falcons 52

• Alicia Froling (Knox) starred with 20 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks in 40 minutes.
• Katelyn Shumate (Waverley) scored 14 points, had 10 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block in 39 minutes.

What Happened

Knox overcame a slow start to defeat Waverley 62-52 in their Preliminary Final clash at Southern Cross Stadium. After trailing 18-7 at the first break, Knox found their rhythm in the second quarter, outscoring Waverley 19-8 to level the match at 26-all heading into halftime.

The third quarter saw both teams trading baskets with Knox slightly edging Waverley 18-19. Knox pulled away in the final period with another 18-point quarter while holding Waverley to just seven points, sealing their 10-point victory and advancing to the 2025 NBL1 National Championship Grand Final.

Alicia Froling was unstoppable for Knox, playing every minute  while delivering a dominant 20-point, 13-rebound double-double. Her presence inside was crucial as she grabbed five offensive rebounds and shot an efficient 6-from-13 from the field. Froling's perfect attendance on court underscored her importance to the team's success.

Agnes Emma-Nnopu provided outstanding support off the bench with five points and 12 rebounds, including five offensive boards, helping Knox dominate the glass with a 56-45 rebounding advantage. Kristy Wallace added 14 points in 25 minutes as a reserve, providing crucial scoring punch when the starters struggled.

For Waverley, Katelyn Shumate and Millicent McCarthy each scored 14 points, but the team's shooting woes proved costly. Waverley shot just 29.4% from the field (20-from-68) compared to Knox's slightly better 31.5% (23-from-73). The visitors particularly struggled inside, converting only 31.2% of their two-point attempts.

Knox's captain Kiera Glover contributed 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in a well-rounded performance. Paige Bradley facilitated the offence with eight assists, adding five rebounds, two steals and one block despite shooting 0-from-10 from the field.

Waverley's captain Renae Mokrzycki fought hard with eight points and 12 rebounds, including six offensive boards, but couldn't prevent her team from being outscored 36-26 in the second half. The game featured strong defence from both sides, with Knox recording five steals and four blocks while Waverley managed two steals and six blocks.

Preliminary Final 2: Cockburn Cougars 89 def. Logan Thunder 60

By the Numbers

• Jessie Edwards (Cockburn) starred with 27 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, four steals, and three blocks in 29 minutes.
• Leah Scott (Logan) scored 16 points, and had 15 rebounds, three assists, one steal, and two blocks in 37 minutes.

What Happened

The Cockburn Cougars established dominance from the opening tip, racing to a commanding 28-14 lead in the first quarter. They maintained their momentum into the second period, outscoring Logan 23-20 to take a comfortable 51-34 advantage into halftime.

Cockburn's interior presence proved decisive throughout the contest. Edwards was unstoppable in the paint, shooting an efficient 13-from-22 from the field while controlling the boards with 11 rebounds. Her three blocks anchored a stifling defence that limited Logan to just 33.8% shooting overall.

The third quarter saw Cockburn extend their lead further with a 17-18 exchange, before putting the game completely out of reach with a dominant 21-8 final quarter performance. Sarah Mortensen provided crucial support with 20 points and eight rebounds on 8-from-17 shooting, including three triples from downtown.

Logan struggled to generate consistent offence against Cockburn's suffocating defence. Despite Scott's impressive double-double (16 points, 15 rebounds), the Thunder committed 18 turnovers to Cockburn's 15. Captain Mikaela Cann had a particularly difficult outing, turning the ball over nine times while contributing seven points and five assists.

The rebounding battle heavily favoured Cockburn, who dominated the glass 55-38. This advantage translated to second-chance opportunities, with the Cougars securing 26 offensive rebounds to Logan's 15. Cockburn also displayed superior ball movement, recording 22 assists to Logan's 15, with Jewel Williams orchestrating the offence with 13 assists.