In week 6 of the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL). The table topper’s, the Bendigo Spirit faced an unexpected challenge to win against the second-last team Sydney Flames. However, the Spirit emerged victorious in the end, defeating the Sydney Flames 85-75 at home.

With this win, Bendigo keeps their undefeated status alive and has also had a hand in the title by winning 7 consecutive games in the 2022-23 season.

The home supporters of Spirit thought it would be an easy win for them because of both teams’ current point table position. Flames women didn’t take too much time to prove them wrong.

The game was competitive from the start. Both teams played equally well and ended the first half with 23 points each. Bendigo took control of the game in the second half and ended the quarter with a comfortable 9 points lead.

After the second period, it will likely be another one-sided victory for the home team Spirit. But in the third quarter, the Sydney women came on the court with a determination to return to the game. As a result, they finished only 4 points behind the table-topper Spirit this quarter.

There was going to be an epic finish to the game during the final period. However, as Flame failed to keep the consistency of the third quarter, it was all in vain. 

The Bendigo quality and continuous attack were too much for Sydney to cope with and win the battle. So, they simply surrendered in the last quarter, and Bendigo got a convenience 10 points victory at their home arena in the end. 

Flames saw their efforts almost bear fruit this round as they underwent a painful rebuilding process throughout the season. They are certainly on a mission to cause many upsets if they continue to play with this defensive intensity and find a way to do better offensively.

While this game ended in a dull finish, the individual brilliance was quite impressive. Sydney women could send a clear message to their upcoming opponents with this fight-back mentality.

Kelsey Griffin was the best player for Bendigo, who scored 24 points and won a total of 11 rebounds with 3 valuable assists. She was superbly supported in offence by Alicia Froling and Kelly Wilson.

On the other hand, Jocelyn Willoughby was the best player for the Sydney side, who scored 22 points along with a total of 7 rebounds. Shyla Heal and Keely Froling also supported her.