22
Aug
🟢 Rolling Coverage
Bradley answers 'Paige' as Knox crush Sabres
Knox Raiders' Paige Bradley and Rachel Bell handled Sturt Sabres in their first game of the 2026 NBL1 National Finals. Photo: Tia De Santis
Highlights
Knox come to Adelaide as champions, top seed and unbeaten since May, and so does the club they beat
- Knox defend the national title as top seed on a 16-game streak
- Waverley, beaten by 26 in the South final, are seeded third here
- The top two after two rounds meet in Sunday's championship game
DAY 1 RESULTS
Knox Raiders def. Sturt Sabres 82-55
The dominance of the defending NBL1 National Champion Knox Raiders continues after the NBL1 South powerhouses put a beatdown on the Sturt Sabres in front of a home crowd in Adelaide.
Beating the Raiders was always going to be a tough task for the Sabres, but it was made even harder with WNBL star Tayla Brazel missing the tournament due to Australian 3x3 duties.
Paige Padroth had a game to remember for Sturt but it wasn't enough as Paige Bradley (22 points) led the Raiders to a comfortable 27-point victory.
Bankstown Bruins def. Warwick Senators 72-50
Star point guard Shyla Heal was unstoppable as the Bankstown Bruins took a major step towards becoming the first NBL1 East side to win a national championship after a 22-point victory over the Warwick Senators.
Heal had 22 points for the Bruins, along with eight assists, while French import Margot De Freitas also starred with 16 points.
The Senators, who were without WNBL guard Chloe Forster and also lost former Australian Opal Nat Burton to injury in the opening minutes of the game, were led by Kyana Weir with 18 points.
Waverley Falcons def. Mackay Meteorettes 86-72
US import Katelyn Shumate was arguably the best performer of the opening night on the women's side, scoring 25 points to lead the Falcons to a convincing 14-point victory over the Mackay Meteorettes.
Shumate was almost on triple-double watch with six rebounds and six assists, while teammate Georgia Pineau had a monster double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds.
Mackay forward Chelsea Brook had a game to remember with 30 points and 11 rebounds.
'Hard Knox': Raiders carry 16-game streak into Adelaide (tournament preview)
Knox Raiders open their defence of the NBL1 women's national title against Sturt Sabres at 6:30pm ACST on Friday, top seed, reigning champions and unbeaten since May.
The streak is 16 games. The last of them was the NBL1 South grand final on 15 August, an 80-54 win over Waverley Falcons that gave Knox back-to-back South championships and Paige Bradley the grand final MVP.
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basketball.com.au's Bec Cole (It's a Cole World) and podcast partners Jacinta Govind, Jake Burfitt and Christopher Caldicott are part of the commentary teams.
Waverley are in Adelaide too, seeded third as South runners-up, and they open against Mackay Meteorettes at 4:30pm ACST. If both clubs finish in the top two, the team Knox beat by 26 a week ago gets them again with a national title on it.
Sturt have the harder job and the better room. They won Central, they are seeded sixth, and they are the South Australian club in a South Australian venue, which is the closest thing this tournament has to a home game.
Bankstown Bruins, the East champions, are seeded second and play Warwick Senators of the West at 6pm ACST.
Every club plays once on Friday and once on Saturday. The top two after those two rounds meet in the championship game at 11am ACST on Sunday, and nobody plays a knockout round to get there.
Twelve teams, more than 120 players and coaches, and the first time the NBL1 National Finals have been held in Adelaide. Canberra, the Sunshine Coast, Joondalup and Melbourne have all hosted before.
