THE NBL1 East has reached the grand final stage of its fixture, and in the women’s competition, the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles were helped into the big dance by a huge performance from Felicity Henderson.

The Sea Eagles faced off against the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Northern Beaches Indoor Sports Centre on Saturday night in the semi-final for a spot against the Norths Bears in the deciding game. Manly Warringah has been the best side in the competition all year long, but finals are a strange time and the CoE have plenty of talented youngsters that have the skill level to take over a match, so the result was far from secure.

The game was one of ebbs and flows, with each side having periods of dominance throughout the game. An upset was looming as the CoE held a one-point lead heading into the final period, looking to hand Manly Warringah its third loss of the entire season. However, the Sea Eagles owned the final 10 minutes of the game, snatching the deficit in the opening minute of the term, before embarking on a match-winning run in the second half of the fourth quarter to hold on for a seven-point triumph and a spot in the grand final this weekend.

One of the most important factors to Manly Warringah’s success was the performance of Henderson, who nearly posted a triple-double in an outing that proved the difference.

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (81) def. Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence (74)

Felicity Henderson – 21 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists

Henderson was everywhere for the Sea Eagles, with the 18-year-old delivering a season-best performance when it mattered most.

She top scored for the victorious home side with 21 points, a total that was reached thanks to some accurate shooting and bursts of offence in the first and last quarters.

Henderson made seven shots from just 11 attempts, not getting out of hand with the volume of her shooting, but staying patient with ball in hand and taking the right look. Most of her work was done inside the arc with some slicing lay-ups proving too much for the opposition’s interior defence to handle, but she was able to stretch the floor with a pair of three-pointers, taking full advantage of the open looks given by the CoE on the perimeter.

She started the game in fine form, dropping 10 points in the first quarter to help Manly Warringah to a six-point lead at the first break. Although the middle of the game saw Henderson slow down on the scoring front as the CoE hit the lead, she delivered again in the fourth term with eight crucial points to guide her side to victory.

Henderson has been a solid rebounder all season long, and that trend continued against Basketball Australia on the weekend. She pulled down nine rebounds and was ruthless in her pursuit of possession, particularly after a CoE miss.

Although it has not been the strongest part of her game in 2023, Henderson’s playmaking was a vital factor in the match. She had her best combinations with her namesake in Antonia, with the pair taking over the match in the final term with some excellent plays in the halfcourt. Henderson finished the match with 10 dimes, ensuring the Sea Eagles’ offence remained fluid and unpredictable, despite her own strong scoring the performance.

Henderson was immensely important as the Sea Eagles continued their pursuit of the title in 2023, impacting the game in nearly every key facet of the game with a tremendous outing that proved match-winning on the big stage. She has shown the ability to stand up in the most important of games, so keep an eye on her in this week’s decider.