AN EXCELLENT first-up offensive performance from Morgan Yaeger was a massive factor in the West Adelaide Bearcats’ 23-point win over the North Adelaide Rockets when the two teams clashed in Round 1 of the NBL1 Central Women’s.

The Rockets welcomed the Bearcats to The Lights Community and Sports Centre on Saturday night, with both sides looking to bounce back after being eliminated from the postseason action earlier than expected last year.

Following a red-hot start, the Bearcats cruised home to victory on the road to kickstart their season in style. West Adelaide dropped 30 points in the first 10 minutes of play and never looked back from there, not allowing the Rockets to truly gain any momentum and building strongly to a nice 23-point win, beginning their campaign in emphatic fashion.

The scoring production of Yaeger was a massive factor within the match, with the star recruit playing her first game in the NBL1 since suiting up for the Rockhampton Cyclones in 2024, and it is evident she has not missed a beat.

North Adelaide Rockets (53) def. by West Adelaide Bearcats (76)

Morgan Yaeger – 30 points, four rebounds, five assists, three steals

Giving the Bearcats a reliable source of scoring in their big win over the Rockets, dropping a 30-piece on the scoring front and finishing the match as an impressive plus-26, showing the positive influence she had on the match.

It could not have been a better start for Yaeger in the first term, scoring nine of the first 11 points of the match as West Adelaide went on an 11-0 run to begin proceedings. Whether it was firing off threes, nailing midranges or finishing at the cup, she was unstoppable in the first few minutes of play, and helped set the tone for the Bearcats.

She was subbed out for a couple of minutes, but returned to finish the first period, and picked up exactly where she left off. She added another five points to her name as the visitors held a remarkable 30-6 lead at the first change in a dominant start.

Yaeger’s playmaking began to come to the fore in the playmaking, with the opposition sending double-teams her way but the experienced campaigner dishing off strong passes to set up teammates. She did add another four points for the quarter, with most coming from the charity stripe as she took advantage of the fact that the defence could not contain her.

She continued to prove productive both as a scorer and a passer in the third term, with the 27-year-old finding success scoring inside despite the fact that it was a low-scoring quarter overall, with just 18 points combined between the teams. Yaeger also had a couple of nice passes out of tough defensive attention, showing that there are multiple facets to her game.

Yaeger then opened up the fourth quarter with a smooth stepback triple, showing that she can score in isolation off the dribble if given enough time and space. She continued that pattern with a nice midrange off the dribble, before finishing her match with another three-pointer to cap off a dominant scoring performance.

She ended the match with 30 points in 27 minutes of playing time, shooting 11/17 from the field and 3/7 from behind the arc along with four rebounds, five assists and three steals. There is no doubt that Yaeger will be the primary option for the Bearcats this season, and has started her campaign tremendously.