Maley delivers on Sunday, Lynx survive late run

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Perth Lynx captain Anneli Maley is a rebounding machine. Maley ripped down 15 of Perth's 43 rebounds as they held off a fast-finishing Adelaide Lightning 75-72 at the SA State Basketball Centre in front of almost 2,000 fans in round 1 of WNBL26.

Just seven months ago, Adelaide Lightning's long history in the WNBL was teetering on the edge of extinction until the SA Government stepped in with a multi-year investment but the fabric of the club shone brightest after falling behind 26-9 at quarter-time.

The Lightning outscored the visitors 63-49 but fell short in a frenetic fourth quarter where they led with 2:53 left.

"Brand new team," Lightning head coach Kerryn Mitchell said.

"We’ve only got two players left from last year. Most of the girls haven’t played together before. We’re a young group.

"But we’ve really gelled pretty well. The girls enjoy each other’s company. We’ll take a lot from this game.

"We won the last three quarters — lost the first, won the others. We came out a little nervous and it cost us. We’ll take some learnings for sure.

"The atmosphere was electric. Dare I say, it was boiling, wasn’t it?

"As we made our comeback and then hit the lead, it got super loud. It’s everything you hope for from your home crowd.

"To see this many South Australians come out and support us — I think we gave them a pretty good show.

"We didn’t get the win, which sucks, but I think they’ll come back."

Key Details

• Result: Perth Lynx 75 def. Adelaide Lightning 72
• When: 19th October 2025
• Where: SA State Basketball Centre, Adelaide
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Alex Ciabattoni (Perth Lynx) starred with 23 points, three rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block in 32 minutes.
• Sania Feagin (Adelaide Lightning) scored 16 points and had nine rebounds and one steal in 18 minutes.

Here’s the Q4 snapshot:

• Start of Q4: Perth led 57–51.
• Perth steadies: Amy Atwell’s layup (9:18) pushed it to 59–51 before Adelaide began to claw back.
• Adelaide surge: Steph Talbot hit a layup (8:00) and mid-range (8:59), Jasmin Fejo scored two crafty reverse layups (4:57, 2:27), and Dallas Loughridge added a floater (2:33).
• Go-ahead triple: With ~2:53 left, Talbot drilled a three off a Loughridge assist to nudge Adelaide in front.
• Lynx response: Alex Ciabattoni answered at the stripe and later hit a turnaround (6:28); Brianna Turner drew fouls (1:34), split/made free throws, and kept plays alive with steals and an assist to Yemiyah Morris (3:45). Anneli Maley was big on the defensive glass.
• Final minute: Adelaide had chances—Brazel missed a late three and Sundell’s offensive board kept hope alive—but Perth executed: Ciabattoni tip-in at 0:20, Tegan Graham iced it with free throws at 0:16.
• Sealer: With 0:01, Brianna Turner stole Sundell’s last-ditch inbound/play to close it out.

What Happened

Perth Lynx dominated the opening quarter, racing to a 26-9 lead with Ciabattoni scoring 10 of her 23 points in the period. The visitors' hot shooting and stifling defence left Adelaide struggling to find rhythm, with the Lightning connecting on just four of their first 17 field goal attempts.

Adelaide showed remarkable resilience in the second quarter, outscoring Perth 24-18 behind strong play from Dallas Loughridge who contributed seven points and three assists in the period. The Lightning trimmed what had been a 17-point deficit down to 11 by halftime, trailing 44-33.

The momentum continued for Adelaide after the break, with captain Steph Talbot orchestrating the offence brilliantly. The Lightning outscored the Lynx 18-13 in the third quarter, with Talbot collecting five assists while Tayla Brazel knocked down two crucial three-pointers to cut Perth's lead to 57-51 heading into the final period.

Adelaide's defence tightened in the fourth quarter, forcing Perth into five turnovers. A three-pointer from Jasmin Fejo with 3:24 remaining brought the Lightning within one point at 69-68, but the Lynx responded with poise. Brianna Turner's defensive presence proved vital down the stretch, as her two blocks in the final three minutes helped secure the win for Perth despite Adelaide outscoring them 39-31 in the second half.

Perth's interior dominance was evident in their shooting efficiency, connecting on 24-from-45 (53.33%) from two-point range compared to Adelaide's 19-from-40 (47.5%). The Lynx also controlled the glass when it mattered most, with captain Anneli Maley grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds. Though Adelaide won the overall rebounding battle 52-43, Perth's nine blocks - including five from Yemiyah Morris - proved decisive in protecting their slim lead.