CLAIRE Jacobs had an excellent start to her 2026 NBL1 West Women’s campaign over the weekend, leading her Mandurah Magic to a 20-point win over the Rockingham Flames with a strong offensive performance in the Round 1 clash.

The Flames admittedly came into the clash without two of their biggest names in Teige Morrell and Sami Whitcomb, giving the Magic the advantage against a shorthanded opponent. With home court advantage as well at Mandurah Aquatic & Rec Centre, they were heavily favoured to get their season off and running with a win.

Mandurah did exactly that on Friday night, overcoming a gutsy first-half performance from Rockingham to get the win. The Flames fought hard to stay within three points at the main change, but were blown away in the second half by Mandurah, with the home side cruising home to a big win to get its campaign underway.

Jacobs was immense in the win for the Magic, alongside her younger sister Mia as Mandurah took over the contest after half time to start 2026 with a win next to its name and a reliable offensive option for the coming months.

Mandurah Magic (97) def. Rockingham Flames (77)

Claire Jacobs – 34 points, four rebounds, seven assists, two steals, one block

Jacobs was a dominant source of scoring for the Magic in the win over the Flames on the weekend, showing just how deep her offensive bag is and how difficult she can be to stop once she gets going from the field.

She opened her account for the match by knocking down her second attempt from long range to tie up proceedings at five points apiece after Rockingham grabbed an early lead. For the remainder of the quarter, her biggest strength came from being able to draw contact and convert at the charity stripe to ensure the Magic were in front at the first change.

Although her shooting was slightly wayward in the second term, she was still able to get involved with some nice passing and some excellent work on the defensive end, including a block and a steal to help put the pressure back on the opposition. Jacobs did cash in for another three-pointer late in the piece and was vital in the Magic holding onto the lead at the main change.

She erupted with a massive third quarter performance that was reflective of her team’s standing in the match, leading the way on the scoring front with 13 points in less than 10 minutes of play. Jacobs began to really attack the paint and put pressure on the Flames bigs to not foul her, which resulted in plenty of layups in a blistering display in the penultimate period.

Although she spent the first four minutes of the final term on the bench, Jacobs was again the most influential scorer on the floor to close out the match in style and help her team secure a promising win. She poured in 10 points in six minutes of play, maintaining her aggression when driving to the paint and finding plenty of space around the rim.

Jacobs finished the contest with 34 points and seven assists on 11/20 shooting from the field and 10/13 shooting from the charity stripe, combining well with her sister, who dropped 22 points, 18 rebounds and eight assists of her own as the pair began 2026 in dominant fashion.