WNBL: Behind MVP Sami Whitcomb, veteran Spirit soar to championship

Sami Whitcomb came up big in Game 2 of the WNBL Grand Final. And it turned out to be the last game of the season, as the Bendigo Spirit captured the 2025 WNBL title over the Townsville Fire, winning Game 2, 63-55.

Whitcomb, the regular season MVP who also would be named the Grand Final MVP, closed out the season with game-high 26 points, bouncing back after by a mediocre (by her standards) Game 1. Again playing a tight rotation of seven players, the Spirit took an early lead, but could not dominate the scrappy Fire, who had the lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to a shot by their best player, Lauren Cox. From then on, the teams were trading punches—and neither was letting up.

Cox was the main reason the Fire stayed in the game, one of their three players who made above 40 percent of her shots and the only one who made more than four shots in the game. She and Courtney Woods had some big plays, scored important buckets and kept the Fire in the contest. Woods was behind their late comeback attempt, but she also had 10 turnovers. Luckily for the Spirit, they also had Marianna Tolo, who scored 17 points and grabbed nine boards for the eventual champs.

Fans got to see lots of tough, hustle plays, with both teams shooting below 40 percent and losing the ball a bit too often due to hard defense. But in a few years ,nobody is going to remember all that. The Spirit’s 63-55 championship-securing win capped off an incredible season, in which a group of veterans put together probably one last, big run for the title. The fact that they came out on top made for a beautiful ending.

Congrats to both teams, and we’re looking forward to seeing some of the players who stood out in the WNBL take the floor in the WNBA in a couple of months and continue their high level of play.