WNBL26 Semi Finals Preview

With the Semi Finals series kicking off Saturday, check out the preview for each series below.

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PERTH VS BENDIGO

Saturday February 14, 1pm AWST

Perth High Performance Centre 

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‍PLAYER TO WATCH: ANNELI MALEY

On paper, Perth Lynx enter this Semi Final as favourites. But Finals basketball isn’t played on paper and the Championship DNA and MVP momentum the Bendigo Spirit have cannot be denied.

WNBL legend Michele Timms recently admitted she’ll “no longer underestimate Bendigo”, and for good reason. After dominating large stretches of the season, the Spirit now chase a return to Championship glory armed with belief, momentum and determination.

Nor can we – as the best team with the best record for a majority of the season, can the Spirit recapture last season’s title magic in 2026?

Under Coach of the Year Kennedy Kereama, and alongside veteran Kelsey Griffin, the Spirit have cemented themselves as genuine title contenders. At the heart of Bendigo’s charge is 21-year-old Isobel Borlase, the league’s leading scorer and the engine of their offence. 

With injuries and player availability issues up and down the roster, can the undermanned Spirit squad with a core of Abigail Wehrung, rookies Kelsey Rees and Olivia Pollerd import Megan McConnell withstand Perth’s stacked roster? 

As highlighted by Dean Andrews on X, four Perth Lynx players earned All-WNBL First or Second team honours, only the third time in league history that has happened. With MVP runner up Anneli Maley, Defensive Player of the Year Han Xu plus guards Ally Wilson and Alex Ciabattoni, Perth has the best starting five in the league.

Olympian Amy Atwell has had a rollercoaster season, capable of exploding for 32 points one night and being held to single digits the next. But one thing is certain; leave her open and she will make you pay. 

No one on earth would leave her open from three, making her the ultimate X-Factor in the Finals. With a season-high of 32 points (six 3PM) and a season-low of four points, which Atwell shows up will truly determine the series. 

WNBL26 MVP runner up, Anneli Maley, has built her reputation on relentless energy, elite rebounding and an unmatched motor. Whether it’s crashing the glass, igniting fast breaks, or lifting teammates in big moments, Maley embodies Finals basketball. If the series tightens late, Maley will be sure her presence will be felt at both ends. 

TOWNSVILLE VS SOUTHSIDE 

Sunday 15 February, 4pm AEDT

Townsville Entertainment & Convention Centre

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‍PLAYER TO WATCH: CAYLA GEORGE

Arguably one of the most intriguing match ups of the post-season, the Southside Melbourne Flyers have a unique advantage despite being the fourth seed against the regular season Champion Townsville Fire. 

Having to fight for their fourth spot, Southside arrive armed with a clear advantage: size, strength and grit. 

Across four meetings this season, Cayla George and Isabelle Bourne have loomed large, proving too physical and too polished for Townsville to contain. George lifted her output by 2.6 and 1.2 rebounds per game against Townsville while Bourne added an extra 3.6 points and 1.2 rebounds. Numbers that tell the story of a frontline that thrives under pressure.

While Townsville claimed the season series 3-1, the margins reveal just how fine the line has been. Southside Melbourne lost two of three games by a total margin under 10 points – proving to be one of Townsville’s biggest thorns all season. 

Through their elite interior passing and relentless physicality, Southside have repeatedly stretched Townsville’s defence. While second-to-none in execution, Townsville are undersized compared to the Flyers’ frontcourt.

In the three games where Southside either won or lost by six points or less, the Flyers averaged 46 points in the paint, accounting for 55.6 percent of their points in those games.

For Townsville, the blueprint is clear; lock down the paint, protect the rim and don’t let the Flyers shooters of George, Haley Peters, Haylee Andrews and Maddy Rocci rain triples and avalanche the series. 

As for Townsville, their overwhelming depth 1-through-10 will be the Flyers’ largest concern. With Sixth Woman of the Year Lucy Olsen leading the charge, at no point can Southside slow down. One lapse, one slow rotation, one missed assignment, and the Fire can turn a tight content into a runaway. 

Once Townsville get on a run, the game is typically over, with Townsville and Perth being the only two teams with 12 wins or more with a margin of 10+ points.

With a perimeter of All-WNBL members Courtney Woods and Miela Sowah, plus Abbey Ellis, can the Flyers contain the offensive ​​onslaught?

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