'Vibe is good:' Aja upbeat despite Lightning loss

• ‍Aja is Adelaide Lightning's fourth coach in 12 months‍
• Adelaide boss on Kerryn Mitchell exit: 'It’s been a tough 24 hours'‍
• All 92 games of the 2025-26 WNBL season

There was no "new coach" bump — but it came close — for the Adelaide Lightning and interim head coach Aja Parham-Ammar largely because it ran into the defending champion Bendigo Spirit and former star guard Isobel Borlase, losing the round seven clash 71-65 at Red Energy Arena in Bendigo on Sunday, November 30, 2025.

Aja Parham-Ammar was named interim coach yesterday after the Lightning abruptly parted ways with Kerryn Mitchell last Monday. Adelaide led by three at half-time but a 19-0 run in the second half was just too much for the road team to overcome.

"Look, it’s been 24 hours," Aja Parham-Ammar said.

"I enjoyed coaching the girls. I enjoyed how they responded. We had a game plan coming in, and there’s some attention to detail we’ll build habits with. But it was fun — I enjoyed it.”

“Yes, positivity is a key part of my coaching style because it’s genuinely who I am. I enjoy the game, I enjoy basketball. You can’t take it too seriously.”

“My message to the team was simple: have fun. Ultimately it’s a game.

"We’re here together, we get to experience this together, and it’s a really good group of girls.

"We have a lot of room for improvement, which is a beautiful thing. We’ve got some young players — we just have fun and enjoy the opportunity.

“I’m very excited. I was nervous coming in — you meet new people, you’re around a group you’ve never met, and you don’t know how they’ll respond.

"There are a lot of X-factors and challenges in that.

"But after today, getting to know the girls and seeing how they respond in pressure moments, the vibe is good and I’m looking forward to it."

Australian Opals guard Borlase torched the Lightning for 27 points in 35 minutes.

“We wanted to come into the game being aggressive and positive," Lightning captain Steph Talbot said.

"We had one training yesterday with Aja, implemented some new principles, and we knew it was going to be tough after only one session.

"There were going to be mistakes, so the ultimate goal was to have fun, be aggressive, and play our game.”

“The last 24 hours have been fun. Her energy is really good, her vibe is really good, and we’re already learning a lot. I’m keen to see how the rest of the season goes.”

“Their 19–0 run was maybe a bit of exhaustion, but mostly discipline. Little things — breakdowns at the end of plays where they got put-backs, or breakdowns where they got open threes. We’ll watch that, learn from it, and hopefully next time we’re better.”

The Spirit will go the rest of the way without Australian Opals centre Marianna Tolo, who announced midweek she is pregnant.

Key Details

• Result: Bendigo Spirit 71 def. Adelaide Lightning 65
• When: Saturday, 30th November 2025
• Where: Red Energy Arena, Bendigo
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Isobel Borlase (Bendigo Spirit) starred with 27 points, three rebounds, two assists, three steals and one block in 35 minutes.
• Sania Feagin (Adelaide Lightning) scored 26 points, and had six rebounds, four assists, one steal and two blocks in 32 minutes.

What Happened

Bendigo Spirit established early control with a strong opening period, leading 19-19 after the first quarter in what proved to be a tightly contested affair. The Spirit edged ahead 43-46 at halftime before extending their advantage to 62-57 heading into the final period, setting up a dramatic finish.

The fourth quarter proved pivotal as both teams struggled offensively. Bendigo managed just nine points in the final period compared to Adelaide's eight, but their earlier work proved sufficient to secure the six-point victory. The Spirit's ability to maintain composure in crunch time was the difference in a low-scoring finale.

Isobel Borlase delivered an outstanding performance for the victorious Spirit, shooting efficiently at 6-from-13 from the field while proving deadly from the charity stripe with 12-from-13 free throws. Her 27-point haul was complemented by solid contributions from Olivia Pollerd, who added 14 points including an impressive 4-from-7 from downtown, and captain Kelsey Griffin who chipped in 13 points and eight boards.

For Adelaide, Sania Feagin put up a valiant effort with 26 points on efficient 7-from-15 shooting from the field, including three triples. Dallas Loughridge provided valuable support with 16 points, while captain Steph Talbot contributed nine points and dominated the glass with eleven rebounds despite struggling from beyond the arc.

The statistical battle was remarkably even, with both teams shooting identical percentages from the field (38.46%) and from three-point range (29.63%). However, Bendigo's superior rebounding (46-37) and slightly better free-throw shooting (80.95% vs 92.86%) proved decisive. The contest featured sixteen lead changes, highlighting just how competitive this encounter was throughout.