Ask women’s basketball fans in Australia, the United States or elsewhere and many will say that the phrase “WNBL Champion Liz Cambage” has a nice ring to it.
Congrats @ecambage and the @SouthsideFlyers! @WNBL Champions 🏆#AcesAbroad ✖️ #ALLIN ♦️♠️ https://t.co/FAovIiMyjt pic.twitter.com/vhC53gKkoj
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) December 20, 2020
After sitting out the 2020 season at the wubble, she announced she would be returning to basketball via the WNBL with the Southside Flyers, a move by its organization that signaled a clear “championship or bust” mindset.
That signing was rewarded … with the championship the Flyers were in search of. Southside defeated the Townsville Fire 99-82 in the WNBL’s Grand Final to claim this year’s championship.
Leilani Mitchell nails it from behind the arc, 12/20/2020 pic.twitter.com/BW5fzhZxIH
— WNBL (@WNBL) December 20, 2020
Lauren Nicholson (Townsville Fire) with a 2-pointer vs. Southside Flyers, 12/20/2020 pic.twitter.com/wii9VgaEMl
— WNBL (@WNBL) December 20, 2020
The phrase “WNBL Champion Leilani Mitchell” also has a nice ring to it as well. Mitchell made it happen and then some with a 31-point effort to bring home Rachel Sporn Medallist Grand Final MVP honors.
🦋 @LeilaniM5 was brilliant today in the championship decider, pouring in 31 points and leading the Flyers to our first @WNBL Championship! 😍
Catch all the highlights from her Grand Final MVP winning performance here 👇👇👇 #WatchUsSoar #WNBL20 #WeAreSouthside #WNBLGF pic.twitter.com/btA8MCTLLq
— Southside Flyers (@SouthsideFlyers) December 20, 2020
Rebecca Cole (Southside Flyers) with a Ft Made Average vs. Townsville Fire, 12/20/2020 pic.twitter.com/b8mvGl2XGz
— WNBL (@WNBL) December 20, 2020
Rebecca Cole tallied 22 points and Cambage added 14.
Leading the charge for Shannon Seebohm’s Townsville team was Lauren Nicholson, who finished the game with a 20-point, seven-rebound, four-assist effort. Nadeen Payne also was greatly productive by adding 14 points and six rebounds to the Fire cause. Mia Murray and Shyla Heal each added 11 with Heal’s also coming with seven rebounds.
Cheryl Chambers’ Southside team winning the Grand Final marks the conclusion of a WNBL season facing lots of uncertainty – as is the WNBA. The WNBL’s schedule was confined to a seven-week, compressed situation in one locale is not what would be considered ideal but what would be considered doable.
