South Recap | Women's Grand Final 2025

Image credit: Ian Knight Photography

Knox Raiders (84) defeated Geelong United (64)

Geelong United's undefeated season dream ended at the final hurdle with the Knox Raiders delivering a brilliant Grand Final performance to win 84-64 and claim the 2025 NBL1 South championship.

While Geelong did put their perfect record on the line in the Grand Final on Saturday night at a sold out State Basketball Centre, but Knox also arrived having won 13 straight matches so it was always going to be a mouth watering contest.

In the end it was just the ferocious nature that Knox played with for the entire 40 minutes that stifled Geelong and held a United team to just 64 points for the game when they have been averaging 90 for the season with an average winning margin of almost 25 points.

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With Geelong looking for a 25th straight win this season Knox looking to win a 14th in-a-row, and given the high quality talent including from the WNBL on both sides, it was hard to imagine a better set up NBL1 South Grand Final.

It was a tight battle as expected in the first quarter and by the end of the 10 minutes it was Geelong narrowly leading 19-18.

It was in the second quarter where Knox made their move and it all started at the defensive end where the Raiders held Geelong to 14 points on 5/16 shooting.

Up the other end, Knox were able to score 22 to go into half-time leading 40-33 and the pressure was right back on Geelong to try to avoid a first defeat of 2025.

The Raiders then were able to take further control in the third frame and the lead even got out to as much as 14 points, and then it continued to grow and got to 20 in the fourth.

Geelong tried everything to get back into the game but Knox's pressure was just too much and United could never get back closer than 11 points in the last quarter.

The Raiders just wouldn’t be denied and won the game by 20 points to claim the 2025 NBL1 South championship to put what happened last year behind them where they had a 20-2 regular season but then lost in straight sets come finals time.

It gives Knox's women a first championship as well since the SEABL title in 2013 with enormous credit having to go to coach Craig Simpson for the game plan to hand Geelong its lone loss of 2025, and for the players going out and executing.

 

 

 

 

 

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The Raiders finished the Grand Final shooting 50 per cent from the field, which was important, but even more crucial was them limiting Geelong to shooting 28 per cent up the other end.

Geelong still ended up with five more field goal attempts and six more free throws while having 18 offensive rebounds to 11, but they just could never find the flow they had been playing with all season with Knox deserving a lot of the credit for that.

Paige Bradley ended up named Grand Final MVP for her efforts at both ends of the Floor for Knox and finishing with 20 points, seven assists and five rebounds with 9/16 field goal shooting.

After being named to the All-First Team on Friday night, Alicia Froling was again instrumental in the championship for Knox with 15 points, 13 rebounds and two assists.

Rachel Bell also finished with 12 points and four rebounds even while shooting 5/16 from the field with Agnes Emma-Nnopu contributing 12 points, 11 boards, two assists and two steals, Kristy Wallace nine points and four rebounds, and captain Kiera Glover nine points and two boards.

It will be a tough loss to stomach for Geelong after the season they had with MVP Jaz Shelley battling hard despite the Knox pressure for 19 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

Hannah Hank added 13 points, 16 rebounds and two assists, Dakota Crichton 11 points and three boards, Lilly Rotunno 11 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals, and Gemma Potter 10 points, five boards and two steals.

NBL1 SOUTH WOMEN'S GRAND FINAL 2025

KNOX RAIDERS 84 (Bradley 20, Froling 15, Emma-Nnopu 12, Bell 12)

GEELONG UNITED 64 (Shelley 19, Hank 13, Crichton 11, Rotunno 11)