The Perth Lynx have punched their ticket to a third WNBL grand final in five years, defeating the reigning premiers Bendigo Spirit in a tense 81-75 victory.
In a do-or-die match for the defending champions, tensions came to boiling point inside the Red Energy Arena on Tuesday night as the Spirit looked to take the semi-final series to a deciding third game.
But Perth, buoyed by towering superstar Han Xu’s double-double (25 points, 14 rebounds) with four blocks, overcame their opponents to wrap up the seris 2-0 and secure a berth in the grand final, where they’ll play either the Townsville Fire or Southside Melbourne Flyers.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Lynx. Though they led by 10 points in the second quarter, Bendigo’s league MVP Izzy Borlase rallied early in the third quarter to make it a one-possession game.
With two points separating the teams, Olympian Anneli Maley scored a settling three with little more than two minutes remaining.
ANNELI MALEY WHEN IT MATTERS 💪 🇦🇺: Watch live on 9Go and ESPN & 9Now and ESPN on Disney+ 🌎: Globally https://t.co/8Z1HucHyFm pic.twitter.com/oFxm9G38bh— WNBL (@WNBL) February 17, 2026
From there, Bendigo couldn’t find the net and, helped by Han’s two-pointer with 0:41 to go, Perth secured the victory.
Maley was prolific all game, posting 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Opal Ally Wilson had nine boards and six assists.
“Every time I’ve been in a championship game, it’s not only a one person thing. It’s about the whole team,” Han said.
“I need to be better because I know my teammates believe in me and give me the ball.
“We need to stay together … have a good rest, be healthy and get ready.”
After going down 86-76 in Saturday’s game one, Bendigo couldn’t keep their championship hopes afloat as they sank 38 per cent of their two-point attempts and bucketed just nine triples.
Borlase flirted with a triple-double, making 23 points, eight boards, and eight assists, while captain Kelsey Griffin was typically inspirational, with 18 points, 15 rebounds, and four blocks.
“I don’t know if this was my last game playing, but if it was, I would be really fortunate,” Griffin, 38, said when asked about her future.
“I’m someone who struggled with gratitude in my career because I felt like I often had to push for progression and betterment.
“(But), because of the people that I get to go and play basketball with daily, it’s going to be a really difficult decision.”
It was a nervy start for both teams as Bendigo led by one point at the first break, but Maley flicked a switch in the second quarter, sinking nine points as Perth opened up a 43-38 advantage at halftime.
Borlase thrust the Spirit back into the game as she fired 13 points in the third quarter, but Han and Maley kept shooting the lights out, and Bendigo couldn’t overcome the deficit.
https://thewest.com.au/sport/basketball/perth-book-grand-final-berth-with-tense-semi-final-win-c-21671444
