'Let’s go, Teeg!' Graham gets job done in 4th Q

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Perth Lynx guard Tegan Graham owned the fourth quarter against the Sydney Flames, locking down Lauren Nicholson and knocking down clutch free throws to lead the home team to a 73-67 win in Round 2 of WNBL26 on Sunday, October 26, 2025.

"I thought, minus the first seven minutes — which was terrible, and we’ll clean that up — we guarded okay in patches in the first half, but Nicholson just got away from us completely," head coach Ryan Petrik said.

"Then Tegan won by default in the sense that (Alex Ciabattoni) had enough on her plate and was on one foot, and Amy’s just come back from surgery.

"So Tegan was the last guard left. 'So, Tegan — you’ve won. Let’s go.'

"And then she did that. We thought she could guard, but to lock down Nicholson — who’s one of the best guards in the competition — I thought Tegan’s performance was brilliant."

Graham, 28, said Flames captain Nicholson was they key to getting the job done for the now 2-0 Lynx.

"I knew she had 20 of their 42 at one point — the coaches let me know — so I knew she was the X-factor in this game," Graham said.

"And like Ryan said, that was my job tonight. Just be physical with her and give her nothing.

"It was more about energy and mindset — my job was to make sure she didn’t touch the ball, and I did everything I could to make that happen."

Graham said she was locked despite Nicholson still scoring 25 points on 5-from-10 from the field including 4-from-7 threes.

"We’re professionals, so engaging for a full four-quarter game is really important if you want to win," she said.

"Especially in that last quarter, the energy from the crowd definitely picked us up — our fans were huge.

"I heard a lot of 'Let’s go, Teeg!' and 'Let’s go, Graham!' — people really appreciated the effort.

"The crowd really got involved and that made it a fun last quarter to get those stops.

"Steph normally does that job and I was just in it tonight."

The Perth Lynx are 2-0 and Flames 1-2.

Key Details

• Result: Perth Lynx 73 def. Sydney Flames 67
• When: 26th October 2025
• Where: Perth High Performance Centre, Perth
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Amy Atwell (Perth Lynx) starred with 24 points, nine rebounds, and one assist in 34 minutes.
• Lauren Nicholson (Sydney Flames) scored 25 points, and had five rebounds, four assists, and three steals in 33 minutes.

What Happened

Sydney Flames controlled the first three quarters, taking a 22-16 lead after the opening period and extending it to 42-34 by halftime. The visitors maintained their advantage through the third quarter, leading 58-48 heading into the final frame.

Perth's remarkable turnaround came in the fourth quarter, where they outscored Sydney 25-9 to complete the comeback. The Lynx locked down defensively while finding their offensive rhythm at the perfect time to overturn what had been a 10-point deficit.

Atwell was instrumental in Perth's comeback, shooting 11-from-13 from the free-throw line while adding nine rebounds to her 24-point performance. Anneli Maley contributed significantly with a massive double-double of 17 points and 17 rebounds, while Alex Ciabattoni added 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocks.

The Lynx overcame their 22 turnovers by dominating the glass, out-rebounding the Flames 47-43, with Maley's 17 boards leading all players. Perth's interior defense was also decisive, recording seven blocks to Sydney's zero, with Brianna Turner contributing three rejections.

Despite Lauren Nicholson's outstanding 25-point effort on efficient shooting (4-from-7 from three-point range) and Mikhaela Cann's nine assists for Sydney, the Flames couldn't maintain their early momentum.

Their offense collapsed in the fourth quarter, managing just nine points as Perth surged to victory in the season opener.