THE NBL1 West Women’s season concluded with an entertaining final round, during which, the Willetton Tigers were driven to victory by a strong performance by Alex Sharp over the weekend.

The Tigers took on the winless South West Slammers at the Eaton Rec Centre on Friday night in one of the first games of Round 17, and although the stakes were not exactly through the roof, it was still a reasonably important game for the visitors. Willetton would have been eager to enter the postseason with some momentum, and although it was taking on a Slammers side that had not secured a win, it could have been a danger game for one of the flag contenders.

The Tigers ended up having no worries on this front, winning all four quarters in an emphatic warning to the rest of the competition. They stormed out to an early lead, and outscored the Slammers by 16 points in the first term. South West simply had no answer to match the opposition’s offensive output and stingy defensive efforts down the other end. The Tigers held a comfortable lead all match en route to a 51-point smashing.

Sharp brought her WNBL talents to the forefront in her side’s big win, having herself a day out against a struggling Slammers side.

South West Slammers (47) def. by Willetton Tigers (98)

Alex Sharp – 19 points, 21 rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block

Sharp delivered a best-on performance in a big team win for the Tigers on the eve of finals, demonstrating exactly what she could be capable of in the coming weeks.

In just 25 minutes of play, the Perth Lynx shooting guard delivered a stirring statline that was reflective of the impact she had on the court.

Although she was not the game’s highest scorer (that honour went to fellow Tiger Melisa Brcaninovic), Sharp still delivered an impressive 19 points on 8/16 shooting. She did most of her damage inside the arc, driving at the hoop and finishing through plenty of contact from the opposition, but Sharp did try her hand at long range shooting too, making one three-pointer on five attempts.

Despite solid scoring, Sharp made the biggest mark on the glass, pulling down a whopping 21 for the match, which was clearly the most of any player on the court. Her desire to win possession for the Tigers was a crucial factor in the team’s success, using expert positioning and timing her leap to perfection to get first hands on the loose ball.

Sharp was able to put a massive stamp on Willetton’s final win of the regular season, showcasing why she is one of Perth’s better players ahead of the upcoming WNBL season.