THE CANBERRA Gunners and the Knox Raiders took out the 2025 NBL1 National Finals in the men’s and women’s competitions respectively in what was an exciting weekend of basketball in Canberra that determined the best teams in the country.

The National Finals pitted the winner of each division (and last year’s National champs as well) against each other in a blockbuster conclusion to the 2025 NBL1 season to cement which team was truly the best over the past six months, with the Gunners and Raiders emerging victorious.

NBL1 Women’s National Final
Knox Raiders (93) def. Cockburn Cougars (72)

The Raiders had taken out the NBL1 South Women’s competition, and had claimed a pair of big wins over the first two days of the National Finals. However, they were coming up against a Cougars side that was yet to drop a game in the calendar year, going through the West Women’s season unbeaten and claiming two wins heading into the decider on Sunday.

The Raiders managed to do to the Cougars as they did to Geelong United in the South Women’s Grand Final, handing Cockburn its first loss of the year on the big stage to claim a 21-point win and be crowned the best team in the country.

It was the kind of performance that was built on a team effort, with plenty of players contributing for the victors to simply prove too much for the Cougars. A whopping seven players poured in 10 or more points for the Raiders in a stunning team showing, with Knox having far too many offensive options over the course of the match.

The Championship MVP Award ended up going to Paige Bradley, who dropped 15 points, five rebounds and nine assists in an extremely proactive performance. Rachel Bell played through a shoulder injury to finish with 14 points, Agnes Emma-Nnopu had a double-double with 13 points and 13 points, while skipper Kiera Glover had 13 points of her own.

Kristy Wallace (11 points, six rebounds, five assists), Alicia Froling (10 points, six rebounds), and Katelyn Young (10 points, 16 minutes) rounded out the double-digit scorers for the match in a tremendous effort from several players.

Despite the loss, Jessie Edwards was immense for the Cougars, dropping a huge double-double of 28 points and 14 rebounds in their first loss of the year. She was constantly trying to spark something for her team and can hold her head high with the best individual performance of the match.

After the Cougars got going early to lead at the first change, the Raiders ultimately took control from there, winning the final three quarters 73-48 to claim the ultimate prize and earn the title of National Champions.

NBL1 Men’s National Final
Canberra Gunners (86) def. Geraldton Buccaneers (67)

Drawing on plenty of support from the home crowd at Southern Cross Stadium in Tuggeranong, the Gunners were able to deliver on the big stage, defeating the Buccaneers by 19 points to emerge National Champions.

The Gunners made history by becoming the first NBL1 East team to win the National Finals, making the most of the tournament being held in their home state, and proving too good for the champions of the NBL1 West Men’s competition.

Canberra native Will Mayfield took out the Championship Game MVP with a strong showing, dropping a huge double-double of 21 points, 14 rebounds and three steals, shooting 8/18 from the field in a mammoth display on the big stage.

Derek Emelifeonwu was not far behind with a strong showing of his own, finishing the contest with 17 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals, backing up his form after winning the NBL1 East Grand Final MVP, while James Toohey had 11 points and Glenn Morison and Theus Evan Wardlow had 10 points apiece.

Johny Narkle overcame an inaccurate performance to almost post a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds on 4/19 shooting for the Buccaneers, while Verle Williams tried hard to generate some offence and finished with a team-high 13 points.

It was a win that was built on the back of a dominant first half from the Gunners, who were leading by 18 points at the main change, and although the Buccaneers managed to make it more competitive in the second half, it was to no avail as Canberra cruised home to victory.