Spirited Isobel rings up box score bonanza

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Atlanta Dream 2024 WNBA Draftee Isobel Borlase is relishing playing alongside WNBL veterans Marianna Tolo and Kelsey Griffin at the Bendigo Spirit.

The 1.8m 21-year-old Victorian guard dropped 26 points on the Sydney Flames in the defending champion's 88-75 WNBL26 Round 3 clash at Red Energy Arena to move to 2-1 and fourth on points differential.

"Having screeners like Tolo and KG is incredibly helpful, and my teammates are finding me," Borlase said.

"Credit to Kennedy’s system for putting me in positions to be successful — I like getting downhill, and we’ve got plays that set that up.

"I’m just taking advantage of those opportunities right now."

Bendigo Spirit kept the Sydney Flames at arms length for most of the contest and Borlase's standout 26-point performance, the second most she has scored in the WNBL, came on 11-from-17 from the field. Her career high is 31 for the Adelaide Lightning.

"Today was probably our best game at both ends," Borlase added.

"Defensively we’ve been good, but now we’re improving offensively too. The plan is to keep getting better game by game.

"Credit to our depth. We can take one person off and the next comes in bringing the same energy. Everyone accepts their role, and Kennedy trusts all of us to make an impact.

"It was a tiring game — but that’s basketball. It’s fun when it’s like that because it brings out the best in everyone.

"Winning’s important — that’s how you make finals — but we’re not getting ahead of ourselves. We’re taking it game by game. We’ve got Canberra next, and that’s our focus.

"You don’t win a championship in (November) so we’ll keep plugging away."

Bendigo head coach Kennedy Kereama has retooled the WNBL25 championship roster after losing MVP Sami Whitcomb to Turkey. The Spirit has brought in import Megan McConnell, Olivia Pollerd, and Borlase.

"The group has a high level of trust from me," Kereama said.

"We’ve got offensive and defensive structures we’re still building — it’s Round 3, it’s not perfect. But they work their backsides off every day to get better.

They’re doing extra individuals, shooting, video work, scout prep — everything. So I’m confident this group believes in what we’re doing and we’ll keep improving every day."

Sydney Flames captain Lauren Nicholson led all scorers with 27 points on 9-from-18 from the field. She also had three boards, two assists and two steals in 33 minutes.

WNBA training camp invitee Shaniece Swain missed the game because of back soreness. The Flames are 1-2 and in sixth.

Key Details

• Result: Bendigo Spirit 88 def. Sydney Flames 75
• When: 2nd November 2025
• Where: Red Energy Arena, Bendigo
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Isobel Borlase (Bendigo Spirit) starred with 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals in 31 minutes.
• Lauren Nicholson (Sydney Flames) scored 27 points, had three rebounds and two assists in 33 minutes.

What Happened

Bendigo Spirit established control early, taking a 23-18 lead after the first quarter and maintaining their advantage throughout the contest. The Spirit's dominant third quarter, where they outscored the Flames 30-21, ultimately created an insurmountable lead.

The Spirit's offensive efficiency was exceptional, shooting an outstanding 57.5% from the field compared to the Flames' lacklustre 33.3%. Bendigo also connected on nine three-pointers at a solid 42.9% clip, matching Sydney's 10 triples but with seven fewer attempts.

Isobel Borlase delivered a superb performance with 26 points on exceptional 9-from-12 shooting from the field. Megan McConnell contributed 21 points, six assists and three steals, while captain Kelsey Griffin secured a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds. Marianna Tolo added 18 points and three blocks in a stellar all-around effort.

For the Flames, captain Lauren Nicholson fought valiantly with 27 points on efficient 6-from-11 two-point shooting and 3-from-7 from beyond the arc. Unique Thompson added 12 points and three rebounds, but Sydney struggled to find consistent offensive production elsewhere.

Bendigo dominated the boards, outrebounding Sydney 41-35 including a decisive 33-21 advantage on the defensive glass. The Spirit led for over 37 minutes of game time, with their largest lead reaching 19 points. Despite committing 19 turnovers against Sydney's 13, Bendigo's superior shooting and rebounding proved decisive in securing their comprehensive victory.