'I try really hard': Maley notches first triple double

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It was Perth's last game of the regular season but it delivered a first for WNBL26 as Lynx star Anneli Maley delivered the first triple double in the league and the first for the Lynx in more than 15 years.

Maley, left out of the Australian Opals team for their World Cup qualifiers in March, is on an MVP-calibre tear this season finishing the Lynx's comprehensive home win 108-93 win against the Sydney Flames with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

"I didn’t know until right at the very end," Maley admitted.

"One of the coaches told me and I was like, 'Oh, no way'. Who would have thought. It was the rebound that was letting me down. Come on.

Maley is leading the league in rebounding at 14.3 per game.

"I don’t think it really matters where I am on the floor," Maley said.

"Sometimes the ball just doesn’t come your way with rebounding, so I don’t think it really changes all that much.

"And the passing stuff, I’m kind of going downhill as a forward anyway, so I didn’t feel like there was that much difference. I was just remembering what to do when I come off on balls. I was like, 'OK, what are the reads here', but no, it was good.

"I think over my career, this is my eighth season in the league. I’ve been through so many ebbs and flows of things I’m good at, things I’m bad at, things I need to work on. I work really, really hard. I really do, and I try really hard.

"So it’s cool to see some of the skills that I do work on actually work, because there’s so many times I try stuff that doesn’t work.

"I’m never chasing stats anyway. That’s not something I do. That’s not something I’ve ever done. I’m just trying to try really hard. Every year I play in the league, I want to get better at something and not stay complacent at being a good rebounder.

"I want to continue to work on my shooting, my ball handling, my passing. That’s something I want to continue to do, and I will in all the off-seasons.

"But let’s be honest here. If I didn’t have teammates that were shooting the piss out of it, and bigs that I could just throw it up to and they just catch the ball because they’re 12 feet tall, we’d be having a completely different conversation."

Lynx head coach Ryan Petrik recognised the significance of Maley's performance in the context of her All-WNBL First Team performances.

"The history-making season for her – history-making performance – since she’s got to this club, no one’s got a triple-double in 17 years of this club, and only four people have done it in club history," Petrik added.

"It’s a pretty big moment.

"I reckon I’ve killed about four (triple doubles) of them (this season). You could have had just this season alone. The best defender in league has been me subbing you out, so I apologise for that.

"No, the kid’s elite and she’s sitting right there. She’s a workhorse. She’s so malleable. You can move her anywhere you need to in the roster.

"So obviously, no Ali tonight, she becomes your de facto point guard. So we possibly play her in a really funky big lineup so we can use her as a big and a guard at the same time. So we can essentially have four guards on the court and two bigs. That’s pretty rare.

"We played Townsville earlier this season with no Chiba, and then Ali Wilson broke her nose and we moved her to point guard.

"It’s the assist numbers. You can move her anywhere one through four and she’ll excel. Luckily we subbed her back in, she got a rebound, she didn’t ping an ankle, touch wood, and we got her back out again."

Petrik said he had already voted for league MVP but didn't reveals who ...

"I’ve voted already, so yes," Petrik added.

"Maybe everyone’s voted already, which means this one might not count. Maybe not.

"But I think body of work – and in fairness, (Isobel) Borlase and (Courtney) Woods are both elite and Holmes is a really tough crew, so whoever wins it, the three or four that are close are going to be super unlucky.

"Clearly we speak with a bias. We can’t rebound without the kid, and the ability to play big and guard is huge. The ability to get triple-doubles – in fairness, had I not subbed her out so many times this season, she probably would have four of them so far this year.

"Clearly we speak with a bias, but we wouldn’t trade Maley for the world."

Key Details

• Result: Perth Lynx 108 def. Sydney Flames 93
• When: Saturday, 7th February 2026
• Where: Perth High Performance Centre, Perth
• Attendance: 2,747
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Anneli Maley (Perth Lynx) starred with 18 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, one steal and one block in 27 minutes.
• Agnes Emma-Nnopu (Sydney Flames) scored 28 points and had eight rebounds, one steal and one block in 36 minutes.

What Happened

Perth Lynx established control early and never relinquished their grip on the contest, leading for over 38 minutes of game time. The home side's balanced offensive attack proved too much for Sydney Flames, with four players reaching double figures in a comprehensive team performance. Lynx built their largest lead to 23 points during the contest, showcasing their dominance throughout the encounter.

Captain Anneli Maley delivered a masterful performance, recording her triple-double with efficient shooting from the field. Her 3-from-5 two-point shooting and perfect 2-from-2 three-point display, combined with outstanding 6-from-7 free throw shooting, anchored Perth's offensive success. Maley's court vision was exceptional, dishing out 10 dimes while controlling the tempo of the game and providing veteran leadership when it mattered most.

Amy Atwell was explosive from downtown, connecting on 4-from-11 three-pointers to finish with a game-high 22 points for the Lynx. Her ability to stretch the floor created numerous opportunities for teammates, while Han Xu contributed 14 points with solid 5-from-9 field goal shooting. The frontcourt duo of Maley and Xu dominated the boards, combining for 20 rebounds and providing Perth with crucial second-chance opportunities throughout the contest.

Perth's shooting efficiency was the defining factor in their victory. The Lynx shot an outstanding 54% from the field (25-from-46) and connected on 12-from-30 attempts from beyond the arc. Their superior ball movement resulted in 29 assists on 37 made field goals, demonstrating excellent team chemistry. Defensively, Perth forced Sydney into difficult shots, limiting them to 46% field goal shooting and holding them to just 10-from-35 three-point attempts for a poor 29% conversion rate.

For Sydney Flames, Agnes Emma-Nnopu provided a lone bright spot with her 28-point outburst, shooting efficiently at 7-from-13 from two-point range and an impressive 3-from-4 from deep. Shaneice Swain added 18 points but struggled from downtown, managing just 1-from-9 three-point attempts. The Flames' bench contributed 29 points but couldn't match Perth's overall depth and execution. Sydney struggled to control the ball effectively and were out-rebounded 51-44, limiting their ability to generate consistent offensive opportunities.