Miela's living her best life as Woods pleads 'please come home'

• Every game of the 2026 WNBA Finals
• Sowah celebrated Golden State's first WNBA title at the San Francisco parade
• Courtney Woods asked Sowah to come home after Townsville beat Perth 99-86
• Shannon Seebohm expects Sowah back with the Fire after exit meetings and the parade

WNBA champion Miela Sowah is living her best life in San Francisco today as thousands of Golden State Valkyries fans lined the street to celebrate their first title, in just their second season.

Sowah, 26, was arm-in-arm with head coach Natalie Nakase as the Valkyries held the championship trophy aloft after beating Australian Opals teammate Isobel Borlase's Atlanta Dream in seven games on Sunday, November 1, 2026.

The Townsville Fire WNBL26 champion became just the third Australian to win both a WNBL title and a WNBA title in the same year (Lauren Jackson and Abby Bishop did it with the Canberra Capitals and the Seattle Storm in 2010) and the 12th Australian to claim women's professional basketball's ultimate prize.

The Queenslander was a Valkyries development player and wasn't on the playoff roster.

Minutes after Townsville held off the Perth Lynx 99-86 in a Grand Final rematch on Tuesday in Round 3, star guard Courtney Woods had one message for her teammate: "Miela Sowah, if you're watching this, please come home, please come home."

Townsville are 3-2 on the season, and head coach Shannon Seebohm said, "I'm hoping she'll be back this weekend, but still to be confirmed."

Sowah went from winning the WNBL title to signing with the Valkyries as a DP, to being a late call-up by Sandy Brondello to play for the Opals at the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup in Berlin in early September.

"Really proud," Seebohm said.

"I think it's amazing when we have players come in here with goals.

"Obviously, we're a club that probably doesn't always get the blue-chip free agents, or whatever you want to call them. We get people who have a lot of drive and ambition and some really lofty career goals, and then we try to help them develop in the areas they need to achieve those things.

"And Miela's definitely were to be part of the Opals, win a championship and then hopefully make the WNBA.

"I think it's amazing to see that she's been able to tick those boxes and then, obviously, to be part of a program like the Valkyries that, to be honest, is kind of like a Townsville Fire-type program.

"I think they have really hard-nosed players who play as a team. They're unselfish and really care about each other.

"To see her be part of that program over there, and obviously what they were just able to accomplish, is remarkable.

"I'm sure she's learned a lot. I know, talking to her, she's put a lot of work into her game and her skills. She talks about her IQ and things.

"So I'm excited to see some of that and what that looks like when she comes back into our program.

"I know the girls are really excited to have her back as well.

"She's got to do some exit meetings, and obviously they've got a championship parade and that sort of thing that she's going to enjoy.

"Then she'll be back with the group after that."

Townsville tackles Geelong Venom tonight (Thursday, November 5, 2026) in Geelong, but then they don't play again until November 15 in Canberra against the Capitals.