THE Rockingham Flames have been crowned champions of the National Basketball League (NBL)1 West Women’s for the 2024 season after defeating the Cockburn Cougars in the Grand Final on the back of a magnificent showing from Alex Sharp.

The Flames finished atop the standings at the conclusion of the home and away fixture with just two losses from 20 games, but the Cougars were not far behind with 16 wins, good enough for third spot on the ladder. Rockingham was pushed by the Lakeside Lightning in the prelims, but did enough to snag a six-point win, while Cockburn was emphatic in its matchup against the Perry Lakes Hawks, claiming a 23-point victory.

The Cougars could not have asked for a better start to the match, jumping out to a 29-19 quarter-time lead on the back of some scintillating offence. However, the minor champions returned serve to make it a one-point game heading into the second half. The third period was the closest of the match, with plenty of energy brought by both teams as Rockingham held a two-point buffer at the final change. In the fourth quarter, it was one-way traffic as the Flames turned it on to close out the match en route to a 16-point triumph.

Having established a reputation as a big game player, Sharp delivered under bright lights once again with a telling performance.

Rockingham Flames (97) def. Cockburn Cougars (81)

Alex Sharp – 19 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, one block

In a match that saw a plethora of Flames players step up with strong showings, it was Sharp that stood tallest, doing a bit of everything as her side overran the Cougars late.

Sharp was one of five Rockingham players to post double-digits for the match, finishing the contest with 19 points on 7/13 shooting from the field. She did her best work close to the hoop, exposing a lack of distraction from the defence to finish at the basket.

She scored on the first possession with a steady three-point make, and although she only nailed one more long range shot for the match, it was still a strong sign of confidence in her own shot, and a signal of what was to come.

Sharp pulled down a double-double with a solid performance in the skies. She combined well with Nes’eya Parker-Williams (12 boards) and Robbi Ryan (11 boards) to completely dominate the rebounding battle, which was crucial in the context of the match.

The Flames had built a reputation as a team that likes to share the ball as much as possible, and Sharp’s six assists was the perfect demonstration of that. Despite having the ability to knock down shots from tough spots, the captain still looked to find the open player as much as possible, and created some excellent looks with sound decision-making.

It was a performance that oozed leadership and class from Sharp, who will take those traits into today’s National Finals.