Cougars maul Senators to win 2025 West title

• Eight of NBL1's best players have been awarded the 2025 Most Valuable Players
• 2025-26 NBL Team Lists and Roster Tracker
• 2025-26 WNBL Team Lists and Roster Tracker

Cockburn Cougars at the 2025 NBL1 West Conference Women's champions after beating Warwick Senators 91-71 on Saturday, August 23, 2025 in Perth.

Sarah Mortensen's 18-point, 11-rebound double-double helped the Cougars pull away in the Grand Final showdown.

Key Details

• Result: Cockburn Cougars 91 def. Warwick Senators 71
• When: 23rd August 2025
• Where: RAC Arena, Perth

By the Numbers

• Sarah Mortensen (Cockburn) starred with 18 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, four steals, and one block in 30 minutes.
• Stacey Barr (Warwick) scored 35 points, and had 13 rebounds, two assists, and four steals in 35 minutes.

What Happened

The Cockburn Cougars have been crowned NBL1 West Women's champions after a comprehensive 20-point victory over the Warwick Senators in the Grand Final at RAC Arena.

Warwick started stronger, leading 19-15 at the first break behind captain Stacey Barr's hot shooting. However, Cockburn seized control with a dominant second quarter, outscoring the Senators 28-17 to take a 43-36 halftime lead. The Cougars maintained their momentum in the third, extending their advantage to 63-55, before putting the game beyond doubt with a 28-16 final quarter.

With six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Sarah Mortensen's three-pointer pushed the Cougars' lead to 75-61, effectively sealing the championship. Jewel Williams followed with a driving layup at the 4:20 mark, extending the margin to 18 points and sending Cockburn fans into celebration mode.

The Cougars' balanced attack proved too much for Warwick, with five players scoring in double figures. Sarah Mortensen led with an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double, while Daniel Raber contributed 16 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Ruby Porter added 17 points on efficient 5-from-9 shooting, including a stellar 5-from-7 from beyond the arc.

Despite Stacey Barr's outstanding 35-point, 13-rebound performance for Warwick, the Senators struggled as a team, shooting just 30.77% from the field (24-from-78) compared to Cockburn's 40.51% (32-from-79). The Cougars also dominated from three-point range, connecting on 13 triples at 40.62% efficiency, while Warwick managed just 10 threes at 29.41%.

Cockburn's superior ball movement was evident with 17 assists to Warwick's 12, while their interior defense recorded five blocks to the Senators' two. The Cougars' depth also proved crucial, with their bench outscoring Warwick's reserves 14-16.

The championship victory caps an outstanding season for the Cockburn Cougars, who finished atop the NBL1 West standings before claiming the ultimate prize in front of a passionate crowd at RAC Arena. For Warwick, despite the disappointment, reaching the Grand Final represents a successful campaign that fell just one game short of championship glory.

How the West was won

Q1 (Senators 19 – Cougars 15)

• Senators: Stacey Barr came out aggressive, hitting early jumpers. Natalie Burton and Kiara Waite added inside scores.
• Cougars: Sarah Mortensen provided their main offense, Ruby Porter chipped in.
• Key run: Senators closed on a 6–0 burst, flipping a tie into a 4-point lead at the break.

Q2 (Halftime: Cougars 43 – Senators 36)

• Cougars settled in — Ruby Porter and Stephanie Gorman both hit from deep, Daniel Raber was relentless on the boards.
• Senators had Barr and Burton working hard, but turnovers and missed shots hurt them.
• Key runs: 6–0 and 7–2 Cougars bursts flipped the game and gave them a 7-point halftime lead.

Q3 (Cougars 63 – Senators 55)

• Senators rode Stacey Barr’s hot streak (jumpers + free throws), with Burton giving second-chance points.
• Cougars’ balance showed — Mortensen, Raber, Gorman and Porter all contributed.
• Senators briefly threatened with an 8–2 Barr-led run, but Cougars finished stronger to hold an 8-point margin.

Q4 (Final: Cougars 91 – Senators 71)

• Cougars dominated the final quarter with inside-outside balance. Raber (layups), Porter (threes), Mortensen (steady scoring), plus late threes from Reilly and Gammidge sealed it.
• Senators managed scattered buckets (Barr, Burton, Waite), but couldn’t match runs.
• Key runs: 12–4 burst to start and 9–0 burst to finish for Cockburn.

✅ Game flow:

• Senators led after Q1 (19–15).
• Cougars controlled Q2 onwards, pulling away steadily, then blew it open in Q4.

📊 Scoring Runs by Team

Cockburn Cougars

• Q1: 8–0 run
• Q2: 6–0 run, 7–2 run
• Q4: 12–4 run to open, 9–0 run to close

Warwick Senators

• Q3: 8–2 run (Barr + Burton fuelled it)
• Otherwise, scoring was scattered and never strung together more than 4–5 unanswered.