THE MANLY Warringah Sea Eagles are the 2025 NBL1 East Women’s Champions, with Zoey Miller playing a key role as her side defeated the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence (BA CoE) in the decider over the weekend.

It was a fitting conclusion to the 2025 season, given they were the two best teams throughout the course of the fixture, and both looked emphatic in their respective preliminary final wins. The Sea Eagles did have home court advantage, but were going to have to hold off a team full of exciting talent and in tremendous form to match.

The first quarter really set the tone for the rest of the match, with the Sea Eagles jumping out to a strong lead with an excellent scoring display, while the CoE could not find the offensive rhythm they displayed in the prelim. That trend continued into the second frame, with the home side completely dominating and leading by 29 points at the main change, and although the CoE tried to fight back in the second half, the damage was already done as Manly Warringah lifted the trophy on its home deck.

Although the Sea Eagles had plenty of contributors, the performance of Miller was one of the biggest factors for the team getting over the line, with the 21-year-old proving a standout against fellow young talents.

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (89) def. BA CoE (61)

Zoey Miller – 17 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals, one block

It was a big-stage performance from Miller in the decider, showing she has the capability to deliver under bright lights and play a crucial role that helped deliver the ultimate prize for the Sea Eagles on Saturday afternoon.

Most of Miller’s production in the first quarter came on the glass, as she crashed the boards with intent to try and generate as many possessions for her team as possible. The young gun was able to hit the scoreboard later in the frame, nailing a driving layup for her only score of the quarter to help her side get off to a strong start.

She picked up exactly where she left off in the second quarter, finishing inside the paint immediately after the first change to further Manly Warringah’s lead. Miller’s highlight came later in the term, when she poked the ball free from the opposition’s grasp and scored in transition with another layup to continue her impressive start. The 21-year-old finished the half with a pair of free throws to play a key role in getting the Sea Eagles out to such a hefty lead.

Miller started the second half by demonstrating her defensive craft, blocking Olivia Olechnowicz‘s attempted layup to try and eradicate any sort of momentum the CoE were trying to conjure. She kept driving inside and finishing in the paint, and whenever the defence tried to stop her, they were either powerless or ended up fouling her with Miller proving reliable at the charity stripe, showing just how influential she could be on the scoring front.

It was a quieter fourth quarter for Miller, who spent a significant amount of time on the bench with the result already secured. She was able to get involved as a passer and find several of her teammates free in the paint for uncontested layups, showing just how balanced her game is despite being just 21 years of age.

Miller finished the contest with 17 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block, all while shooting 6/9 from the field and 5/8 from the charity stripe in a strong display on the biggest of stages.