ALTHOUGH it is a new season in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL), it seems Mikaela Ruef is going to be one of the major players yet again, dominating in Round 1 to lead the Sydney Flames to a 17-point win over the UC Capitals.

The Flames are looking to return to the WNBL postseason after missing out on the finals last year by the thinnest of margins, and faced off against the Capitals in the opening weekend of the 2024/25 fixture. Canberra finished at the bottom the ladder last time around, but added some exciting young pieces ahead of the current season.

The Flames were the better side in the double-header at Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday afternoon, jumping out to an early 14-point lead in the first term and never allowing the Capitals to get back in the contest. Sydney emerged big winners on the back of its hot start to the contest, and got its season off to a perfect start.

Ruef was one of several Flames players to deliver a strong performance in the opening round of the season, and showed that she will once again be a force to be reckoned with in the current fixture.

Sydney Flames (102) def. UC Capitals (85)

Mikayla Ruef – 25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals

Ruef combined extremely well with Cayla George (23 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, two steals, two blocks) in the frontcourt to run rampant against the Capitals as the Flames showed their power early.

Ruef was the game’s leading scorer with 25 points, reaching that total with extreme efficiency and making every post a winner with ball in hand. She nailed nine shots on 11 attempts and scored across all three levels in a tremendously impactful scoring showing.

Ruef was instrumental in getting the Flames out to an early lead, firing from behind the arc in the opening quarter with three triples to help Sydney take the match-winning lead. As the game wore on, the forward looked to score a bit closer to the hoop, but her ability to stretch the floor meant the defence would sometimes close out too hard on the perimeter.

On the boards, she was her usual reliable self with 10 rebounds for the match. Ruef has proven herself as a terrific glass cleaner and double-double machine in the past, and lived up to that reputation to give Sydney the upper hand in this category.

Ruef has strong passing skills in the frontcourt, and will often pass up a potential look if there is a better one available. She was selfless with five assists, but also tidy with her decisionmaking in the contest too, not turning the ball over once and making the right play across all four quarters.

It was an excellent opening round performance from one of the stars of the WNBL against her old side, and if form is anything to go by, Ruef and the Flames are in for a big year.