THE COCKBURN Cougars have claimed the 2025 NBL1 West Women’s championship, defeating the Warwick Senators by 20 points at RAC Arena, with Ruby Porter claiming Grand Final MVP for an important performance.

Porter was the sole new face on Cockburn’s roster after most of the team decided to run it back in 2025, which was proving a winning strategy. The Cougars went undefeated throughout the home and away season, and cruised through to the big dance with ease, giving the Senators the biggest challenge in the competition on Saturday night.

The Senators announced themselves early with a 7-2 run to stun the minor champions, before the Cougars showed their class, scoring 16 unanswered points in the second frame to lead at the main change. It was all Cockburn in the second half as well, as the ladder-leaders cruised home to claim a deserved title.

Porter was excellent for the Cougars on the big stage, with the 23-year-old playing a crucial role in her side claiming the ultimate prize and booking a spot at the NBL1 National Championships in the coming weeks.

Cockburn Cougars (91) def. Warwick Senators (71)

Ruby Porter – 17 points, two rebounds, one assist, two blocks

Porter showed how valuable of an acquisition she was over the off-season, proving the defining performer in the Grand Final with an excellent two-way performance that paves the way for a crucial campaign at the National Finals.

It was a slow start for Porter, with the guard’s inaccuracy reflective of her team’s performance in the opening minutes of the game. However, she had a vital play in the dying stages of the first quarter, blocking Stacey Barr‘s attempted jumper, which gave the Cougars some hope despite trailing at the end of the period.

After spending most of the second frame on the bench, Porter was injected back into the contest with a few minutes remaining in the half, and nailed her first three-pointer of the game almost immediately to give Cockburn some perimeter presence. The 23-year-old splashed home a second triple a few minutes later to help the Cougars take control of the contest and head into half time with a seven-point buffer in hand.

Porter showed her smarts by drawing contact near the basket and heading to the free throw line to start the second half, although she missed both chances to convert at the charity stripe, while her passing skills were on display as she found Sarah Mortensen on the perimeter with a nice dish. After the Senators cut the margin back down to five points, it was Porter again who stepped up for the Cougars, nailing yet another three-pointer to give Cockburn some breathing space with a quarter to play.

The guard made up for her third quarter inaccuracy in the opening minutes of the final frame, going two from two on her trip to the free throw line as the Cougars began to really break away. Porter’s defensive work continued, swatting Chloe Forster‘s driving layup as the Cougars put one hand on the Championship trophy. She nailed another two triples to close out the contest and seal the result for Cockburn, who cruised home to victory.

Porter finished the contest with 17 points, two boards, two blocks and an assist in a defining performance in the Grand Final over the weekend. Although she was not her team’s leading scorer (that honour went to Mortensen’s 18 points), it was the timeliness of her makes, knocking down long range bombs just when the Couguars were being challenged.