THE National Basketball League (NBL)1 National Championships are set to kick off this weekend in Joondalup over in Western Australia, with the best sides in the country locking horns for the ultimate prize.

The winners of each of the five NBL1 competitions around Australia will go head to head in a weekend tournament, that will crown the premier basketball side in the nation. It comes after a thrilling batch of grand finals, setting up a thrilling few days of action.

In this article, Rookie Me Central will be taking a look at the first group of games in the Women’s competition, which should go down to the wire with some dominant sides in the mix.

Norths Bears vs. Northside Wizards

The first matchup on the cards has a common directional theme, and also sees the winners of the East and North competitions face off in an enticing matchup.

The Bears took home the biggest win of any grand final over the weekend, defeating the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles to the tune of 15 points in a convincing first half performance. Norths will be confident of its ability to rally a number of contributors offensively, while holding the opposition to a low enough score. Jolene Anderson was the star of the show in the grand final with 21 points and nine rebounds, so the defence will need to be mindful of her.

In their best of three series against the Cyclones, it took the Wizards just two matches to get the job done, convincingly outplaying Rockhampton and earning the North Women’s title. They appear one of the stronger sides in the tournament based on form alone, and will benefit from the weekend off, given their game took place a week earlier. The duo of Courtney Woods and AJ Johnson will give the opposition a serious task, and could win the game on their own.

Cockburn Cougars vs. Bendigo Braves

In the second matchup to kick off the weekend, it will be West against South in a powerhouse matchup.

The Cougars were the best side in the NBL1 West Women’s competition, and deservingly defeated the Tigers to take out the title for 2023. Having lost just two games all season long, Cockburn was always going to be tough to stop, and that looks to be the case in the National Championship too. The Cougars will also have a boost with the home court advantage (kind of, considering it is at Joondalup in W.A.), while Sarah Mortensen looks capable of tearing a game apart if she can overcome her shooting woes.

Coming into the South Women’s grand final over the weekend, it was Bendigo’s to lose given it was unbeaten over the course of the 2023 fixture. The Braves will be coming into the tournament as favourites given their red-hot form and stacked roster, and have all the tools to win the ultimate prize on the big stage over the weekend. While there are a number of players that could prove match-winning, Amy Atwell has been on fire lately, and posted 36 points in the grand final, so keep an eye on her.

Warwick Senators vs. Norwood Flames

The final matchup in the first stage of the tournament will see the reigning champions take on the winners of the Central competition.

The Senators won it all last year, but unfortunately could not back it up in the West Women’s competition this season, finishing in fifth place. They were blown out by the Flames in the semi-final, but have booked a spot in the National Championship having won it last time out. While they might not be the most in-form team in 2023, they won their last three of the season and certainly have the experience to get it done here.

The Flames stunned everyone by taking down the ladder-leaders in Sturt on the big stage over the weekend, and getting it done in convincing fashion too. Norwood claimed a 15-point win over the Sabres, and has stormed its way into the final stage of national glory. If their grand final performance is anything to go off, the Flames can take down nearly any side in the country, and should stack up well against the best, especially if Alex Wilson‘s grand final performance (23 points, 16 rebounds) can be replicated.