DESPITE many solid performances from a team perspective, Robbi Ryan was the star of the show as the Joondalup Wolves claimed a big win over the Rockingham Flames in the NBL1 West Women’s.

The two sides went head to head at HBF Arena in Joondalup on Saturday evening, with the Wolves looking to stay in touch with top spot, having conceded just two losses so far this season. Although the Flames are in finals contention and are having a solid campaign themselves, it was always going to be an uphill battle.

Rockingham was able to match it with the opposition in the opening half, trailing by just five points at the first change in an entertaining start to the match. However, the home side turned it on in the third term in what was a defining period for the match, outscoring the Flames 34-16 and taking a commanding lead into the final change. Although the visitors got their offence going again in the final term, it was too little, too late as the Wolves cruised home to a 20-point win.

Although there were a number of players delivering strong numbers, none were better than Ryan, who stuffed the stat sheet with a magnificent showing.

Joondalup Wolves (102) def. Rockingham Flames (82)

Robbi Ryan – 32 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, two steals, one block

Ryan was an immense presence on the game with her ability to contribute in multiple ways and hurt the opposition across all four quarters.

She delivered a game-high points total of 32 on an impressive 11/19 shooting despite some close defensive attention. Ryan balanced her shot selection well, making herself a tough defensive assignment given the unpredictability of her attempts from the field.

Ryan was able to fire from behind the arc, nailing five triples on nine attempts as she got her shooting motion in a nice rhythm to help boost her points total even further.

The Wolves controlled the glass tremendously as a whole, and Ryan was a key contributor in that facet as well, pulling down seven boards herself. Three of these came on the offensive end as she relentlessly hunted the loose ball after a miss, and generated more scoring opportunities for her side.

As a playmaker, Ryan was as solid as ever in finding her teammates in scoring position. Despite having a good scoring game herself, the 25-year-old was always using her peripheral vision to keep an eye on where her fellow Wolves were, and it resulted in some smooth offence for Joondalup for the majority of the match.

Ryan delivered one of the best performances of her NBL1 career on the weekend, showcasing how versatile her game is and how valuable she is to the Wolves.