'Wrestle ball' prepared Cayla for winning return

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Cayla George was nervous but she turned that energy into a 19-point and 11-rebound double double to lead the Southside Melbourne Flyers to their first win of WNBL26 against the Flames, beating Sydney 81-76 at Quaycentre.

Australian Opals star George played two seasons for the (1-1) Flames before joining the (1-1) Flyers ahead of WNBL26.

"Always coming back to the team you’ve played for a couple of years — there’s a bit of extra emotion," George said.

"I was pretty nervous for today’s game. You know, I lived in Sydney for two years, just up the road, called this home for a couple of good seasons.

"So, like I said, a bit of extra emotion, but I’m just really stoked for our Flyers group.

There was a little — when I got announced, whoo — a tiny bit! Thanks Sydney fans.

"A couple of George jerseys in the crowd. But yeah, I’m comfortable in this arena, I played here for two seasons. It’s very familiar.

"I’ll just bring it back to this: really stoked to get in the winners column today.

"We just had that game last week that we’d probably love to have a redo on, but to come out and just get in the winners column was really important for us today.

"It was a really great hit-out, really physical — I like to call it 'wrestle ball training week'. It was all very physical, but I think it put us in good stead to handle it today.

"It’s a tough league, very even across the board — anyone can beat anyone on any given night. Really tough win today, and I’m just really stoked for the girls that we could get that one, especially after our wrestle-ball week. It was a lot, but it was great for us. We needed it."

Flyers head coach Kristi Harrower said the Flyers prepared all week to the physical against the Flames.

"I’m sure everyone saw how physical the game was," Harrower said.

"You know, not all physicality’s bad, as long as nobody gets hurt in the meantime, do you know what I mean? It was a big win for us up here.

"They’re a quality team, they play so hard and, you know, it was really important for us to come up here and get the win.

"We’ve got Townsville home next week, which is another big one for us. But I think it was just a game that we needed to respond.

"The group needed to respond from the way they played last week, and they had a pretty tough week on the training track.

"No fouls at training — it was one of those types of weeks. It was trying to get the physicality into our group, and they went to war through training this week, and that’s what it was like today. So, a real positive win for us."

Key Details

• Result: Southside Melbourne Flyers 81 def. Sydney Flames 76
• When: 24th October 2025
• Where: Quaycentre, Sydney
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Cayla George (Southside Melbourne Flyers) starred with 19 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and two steals in 38 minutes.
• Lauren Nicholson (Sydney Flames) scored 17 points, and had five rebounds, four assists in 33 minutes.

What Happened

The Sydney Flames came out firing in the first quarter, racing to a 28-22 advantage behind Lauren Nicholson's aggressive play. They maintained control early, building a 13-point lead during their biggest scoring run of 14 points. However, Southside Melbourne gradually found their rhythm in the second quarter, outscoring the home team 21-15 to narrow the gap to 43-43 by halftime.

The third quarter featured a defensive battle with both teams exchanging leads in a period that saw 17 lead changes throughout the contest. Southside Melbourne's disciplined play earned them a 19-16 advantage in the quarter, giving them a slim three-point edge heading into the final period.

Cayla George dominated inside for the Flyers, finishing with an efficient 19 points on 6-from-9 shooting from two-point range. Her 11 rebounds helped Southside control the glass despite Sydney's overall 42-34 rebounding advantage. George's three blocks anchored a defense that disrupted the Flames' offensive flow in crucial moments.

The difference came down to shooting efficiency, with Southside Melbourne connecting on 61.5 percent of their field goals (24-from-39) compared to Sydney's 31.8 percent (14-from-44). The Flames stayed competitive by hitting 11 three-pointers to Southside's four, but couldn't overcome their shooting struggles inside the arc.

Sydney's bench provided a significant boost, with Shaneice Swain contributing 15 points on 3-from-7 shooting from beyond the arc, while Unique Thompson added 11 points and nine rebounds. However, the Flyers' balanced attack proved too much, with Haley Peters adding 13 points and four steals off the bench in 29 minutes, posting a team-high plus-minus of +15.

The Flames hurt their cause with 16 turnovers, which the Flyers converted into valuable transition opportunities. Maddi Rocci struggled with ball control (seven turnovers) but compensated by getting to the free-throw line consistently, making 8-from-10 attempts. Southside's advantage at the charity stripe (21-from-25 compared to Sydney's 15-from-20) proved crucial in the five-point victory.

Despite the loss, Sydney showed promise with balanced scoring from Nicholson (17), Swain (15), Keely Froling (13), and Agnes Emma-Nnopu (11). Froling's all-around game included nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block, while Emma-Nnopu contributed six rebounds and two blocks in an impressive defensive display.