Posted on 17 August, 2020
It’s the one year anniversary of our NBL1 Cobra Women winning the league’s inaugural championship. We take a look back at all the best moments from their historic 2019 season for Champ Week.
The Cobra Women made their much anticipated NBL1 debut on the road, fittingly against heated rivals, the Knox Raiders. Falling in a close one, the Cobras gave us a glimpse of their grit and resolve, bouncing back just 18 hours later with a dominant win over the Basketball Australia CoE in their home opener.
The NBL1 Cobra Women got funky on Retro Night, dominating Diamond Valley for their fourth straight win to climb into playoff contention.
It was the showdown five years in the making: Cobras vs Raiders at Kilsyth for the first time since 2014. Led by Lauren Nicholson’s 39 point explosion, the Cobras dominated Knox for their eighth straight NBL1 victory, winning the prized ‘Ashes’ trophy in the process.
Clare Camac celebrates her 350th NBL1/SEABL game and Sarah Boothe erupts for 28 points, 23 rebounds and six assists as the Cobras finish the regular season in style at home, securing a top-four finish.
Boothe’s huge night was a sign of things to come, setting the stage for a dominant postseason campaign.
The Cobras entered the NBL1 Finals with a daunting task in front of them: taking on the league-best 19-1 Bendigo Braves on the road. But Lauren Nicholson, Sarah Boothe and Klara Wischer combined for 67 points, leading Kilsyth to a stunning victory to set up a Preliminary Final showdown at home against the Spectres.
For one final time at home, the Cobras dialled in a near-perfect performance, defeating the rival Spectres to advance to the NBL1 Championship Game. Lauren Nicholson, Sarah Boothe, Klara Wischer and Kara Tessari were at their scintillating best, combining for 76 points and 44 rebounds in the dominant victory.
The Cobras complete their incredible postseason run in spectacular fashion, hammering the favoured Geelong Supercats to win the inaugural NBL1 Championship. The Cobras saved their best for last, unleashing an early three-point barrage to lead by as many as 25 points before cruising to an 86-76 win.
Nicholson was named Finals MVP thanks to her incredible 36-point, 10-rebound, six-assist outing. Wischer (16pts/5reb/3ast), Boothe (10pts), Tessari (9pts/8ast/6stl) and Downie (11reb) rounded out their superb playoff campaigns, while Camac and Emily Fryters contributed big minutes off the bench in the win.
