SEASON 2022 has been run and done in the National Basketball League (NBL)1 East Women’s competition, with the Albury-Wodonga Bandits completing a dominant campaign and claiming the title.

There were some seriously impressive seasons at both a team and individual level, and the champions were at the top of the group for a lot of the key categories, displaying how deserving they were of the ultimate prize.

In this piece, we will take a look at some of the most important statistics, and which players led the way with terrific performances across the span of the competition’s inaugural season.

Points per game

Lauren Jackson (Albury-Wodonga Bandits) – 31.86
Unique Thompson (Albury-Wodonga Bandits) – 29.67
Nicole Munger (Newcastle Falcons) – 25.67
Lauren Nicholson (Sutherland Sharks) – 25

There are no surprises at who tops the list in terms of scoring, with Jackson putting together an outstanding campaign that ultimately sparked a remarkable career comeback. Widely regarded as one of the greatest female basketballers of all time, Jackson returned to her home town following the announcement of the NBL1 East competition, and picked up right where she left off.

Over the span of 14 games, she was the only player to average over 30 points per game, and was too much for the opposition to handle. Doing her best work in the paint, Jackson’s size and strength meant she nailed over half of her shot attempts, and to add to the impressive nature of her season, she only registered less than 30 points on three occasions.

Fellow Bandit, Thompson was almost just as impressive, and was not far behind Jackson in her 12 games. A season-high total of 49 points showcased the ceiling of the 23-year-old, and was a crucial piece in the championship run. Munger and Nicholson round out the list with the pair doing some serious damage with ball in hand.

Rebounds per game

Unique Thompson (Albury-Wodonga Bandits) – 15.08
Mikayla Dombkins (Maitland Mustangs) – 12.81
Lauren Jackson (Albury-Wodonga Bandits) – 12.64
Sarah Schicher (Norths Bears) – 10.58

Once again, it is the combination of Thompson and Jackson that proved to be the most damaging duo in the skies for season 2022. Thompson was a machine on the boards, pulling down a whopping 15 rebounds per game and proving a handful whenever the opposition attempted to box her out. Jackson was also damaging and showcased her ability to storm pass 20 boards in a match on any given night. Dombkins was also ultra impressive across 21 games, and was physical in her hunt for the board, without sacrificing her durability by being reckless. While her ceiling was not the highest, her consistency was fantastic.

Assists per game

Ai Yamada (Albury-Wodonga Bandits) – 5.95
Lauren Nicholson (Sutherland Sharks) – 5.4
Vanessa Panousis (Sutherland Sharks) – 5.39
Kate Seebohm (Norths Bears) – 5.36

Yamada led the way on the assists front, benefiting from having the likes of Jackson and Thompson in the frontcourt for much of the season. Her vision and ability to work in the pick and roll with her teammates was crucial in getting the Bandits to a winning score. Nicholson finds herself in the top-four for yet another category, pairing her scoring capability with an unselfishness that saw her teammates benefit, while Panousis was not far behind as the duo shared ball-handling responsibilities.