Latest news with #Wallam
Newsroom
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Newsroom
A Diamond recut: Mystics reignite Wallam's sparkle
Something clicked for Donnell Wallam this season with the Mystics – and it wasn't just the sound of her wrist breaking. It was as though she'd found her netball people. 'I've never felt so comfortable in a team before. I just relate to a lot of the girls so much more,' says the Australian Diamonds goal shoot, and proud Noongar woman, just days away from playing in the first elite netball grand final of her career. 'You know, the Aboriginal culture and the Māori culture are so similar. It's as simple as some of the language we use with each other, and I just felt at ease straight away. That's what I've enjoyed most.' Yet Wallam, unwanted in Australia's top league, admits she was 'initially scared' to join the Mystics, stepping into the giant shoes left by Grace Nweke. Then she'd barely got started before it all came crashing down – a fractured wrist in just the third round of the ANZ Premiership threatened to end her season. So when doctors gave her six weeks to recover, she told them she'd only need four – and slotted back into the Mystics shooting circle in round eight with little trace of discomfort. 'I think I've come over here, taken on the challenge and it's made me a better player. I've really developed my game here,' the 31-year-old says. On Sunday, Wallam will line up in the premiership grand final in a Mystics side who've been all the better for her presence. Assistant coach Rob Wright, also an Aussie, says the shooter known in the team as Nelly has been a joy to work with. 'There's something about Nelly. People really warm to her, she's really humble and understated, and then she backs it up on court,' he says. 'And she always wants to be better.' Mystics veteran Peta Toeava has been like 'a big sister' to newcomer Wallam this season. Photo: Northern Mystics Wallam's success on court here – shooting 275 goals at 88 percent, even after missing four games, and seamlessly falling into sync with magical Mystics feeder Peta Toeava – has attracted attention across the Tasman. The Mystics offered Wallam a lifeline after she failed to score a contract with a Suncorp Super Netball franchise this year – let go by the Queensland Firebirds after three seasons, who signed up Ugandan star Mary Cholhok (they finished at the bottom of the table with just two wins). Wallam made headlines in Australia last week when she was invited back to the Australian Diamonds' training camps. This time, though, it's essentially as a training partner – losing her place in the national squad she's been in since 2022. 'It's a bit of a different role this time as an invitee, but I'm still grateful to have that opportunity again,' Wallam says, taking it all in her long stride. 'It's always an honour. 'There may be an opportunity to be elevated, otherwise you're in and around the environment still learning and developing your game.' Regardless of the outcome in the grand final against Tactix, a home game for the Mystics at west Auckland's Trusts Arena, Wallam will return to Western Australia with more than she arrived here with. 'I've got so much more family now. The Mystics are my family away from home,' she says. Donnell Wallam unbalances Tactix keeper Jane Watson during the Mystics's 70-56 win in their last round match. Photo: Michael Bradley Photography Defending premiership champions for two years' running, the Mystics had their doubters at the start of the season. 'I don't think many people picked us to make the grand final,' Wright says. 'They may have picked us in the top three.' You can blame it on the Nweke Factor. Losing the prolific Silver Ferns goal shooter was seen as a blow the Mystics might struggle to come back from. When Wright and Mystics head coach Tia Winikerei heard Nweke was signing with the NSW Swifts, they started their search for a new shooter. 'It's not easy to replace a 55-plus goal shooter,' Wright says. 'There was a suggestion Nelly wasn't going to have a spot [in the SSN league], and we were thinking she would be a really good pick-up for us – in terms of how our midcourt operates and how we play our games.' Megan Anderson, a former Diamonds shooter who played her final season of elite netball for the Mystics, coached Wallam at the Firebirds and is now her manager. That connection helped the Mystics coaching team make their approach. 'We were fortunate Nelly was really keen to come to us,' Wright says. Wallam met two ANZ Premiership teams. 'Once I spoke to Tia, I was initially scared. Like a good scared, though,' she says. 'That was a main reason I chose Mystics – I knew I'd be challenged in a different way. 'It was playing different styles of netball over here, being able to adapt to the moment, and not being that one-dimensional tall, holding shooter. So I don't become too predictable.' But there was one thing that made her think twice about joining the defending champions: replacing Nweke. 'I didn't want to go to a team where I had to fill the void left by Grace, because she's an amazing athlete,' Wallam says. 'But Tia reassured me they weren't looking to replace her; they wanted me to be me, and play to my strengths.' Immediately, the Mystics coaches were impressed by Wallam's 'thirst to improve', Wright says. 'You can tell her something and she'll go, 'Yeah, I'll do that', and she puts it into effect pretty quickly. She's easy to coach.' Wallam swiftly found her place in the shooting circle alongside Filda Vui, now in her fifth season with the Mystics. Vui has had one of her best seasons in 2025, thriving on her new responsibility in the circle, and the introduction of the super shot. The 29-year-old has sunk 28 two-pointers (with 64 percent accuracy), and some were game clinchers. 'Filly has stepped into a more influential role, more dominant, than previously,' says Wright. 'It means the opposition's having to worry about two targets, and especially with the two-point shot. It just keeps them guessing even more.' Wallam and Filda Vui have worked hard to keep defenders guessing this season, especially in supershot zones. Photo: Northern Mystics Wallam's been struck by how cool, calm and collected Vui has been, especially when the game is on the line. 'Nothing fazes Filda out there,' Wallam says. 'It's so nice to have such a confident goal attack to play with, who I can swing the ball out to for the supershot, and it takes some of the pressure off me.' And then there's pairing up with Toeava – one of the shrewdest, smartest feeders in the game. For years, her miracle passes to Nweke stole the spotlight, but she's proven she's no one-trick pony, setting up Wallam under the post with just as much flair and precision. Toeava and Wallam have spent a lot of one-on-one time together, honing exactly when and where to deliver the ball. 'I've got to give huge credit to Rob and Tia and the way they've structured our training so we've had the opportunity to gel like we have,' Wallam says. 'It's given us the upper hand; we know each other so well on court. 'Sometimes, I want to sit back in the goal circle and watch Peta do her thing, but then I've got to have my eyes open ever single time she has a hand on the ball – I have to expect the ball from anywhere. 'She's such a workhorse. In trainings, she sets the standard. She's someone you want to play for, like having a big sister in the team. I've loved playing with her.' A pained Donnell Wallam after fracturing her wrist in the Mystics' third round clash with the Steel. Photo: Michael Bradley Photography Wallam continues to play with a brace on her wrist since her unlucky break against the Steel in her third ANZ Premiership game. As she fell out of court, diving to keep a rebounded ball in, Wallam had a sinking feeling she'd broken a bone. 'I went off, strapped it up and tried to catch a few balls, but couldn't do it without pain. I was trying to convince myself and everyone around me it wasn't broken, just a bit sore. But I'd felt that kind of pain when I broke my arm a few years ago.' Wallam was in England in 2021, when she suffered a break to that same arm in her second game for the Leeds Rhinos. She was sidelined for seven weeks yet was rated the Super League's most accurate shooter at 95 percent. The following year she became the first Indigenous player in the Diamonds in 22 years. This year, x-rays showed she a small fracture in her left wrist – one she was determined wouldn't end her season. 'When the doctor said six weeks, I said 'give me four',' she says. She impressed the Mystics team by still turning up to every training and working with young shooter Sophia Lafaiali'i, called up from the Northern Marvels NNL side to fill the Diamond's role. She stood on the sideline yelling encouragement at home games. 'I didn't really like watching because I was just too close! I was a bit down on myself for that injury,' Wallam says. 'But it also gave me confidence we have so much depth in our squad that we can go to our bench no matter what. She credits the Mystics' medical team, as well as the Australian Diamonds' doctor, for giving her the right advice and getting her back on court five weeks later. 'I was just so happy to run out on the boards with the girls again, and to wear the Mystics' heritage dress, which meant a lot to me,' says Wallam. In three weeks, Wallam will return home to her 'puppies' – two miniature dachshunds. And she'll prepare for a couple of camps with the Australian Diamonds squad in September – one of four invitees who are essentially training partners to the 18-player squad. Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich told Fox Netball that after Wallam's disrupted season, she was 'keen to see what she's evolved in her game, what she's learnt playing in a different environment,' and how she can regain her connection with the squad. The 1.93m shooter could be a real asset for the Diamonds in the Constellation Cup in October, having got the better of New Zealand defenders throughout the premiership. Wallam's Auckland flat will soon disband, with fellow Aussies and Stars players, Remi Kamo and Charlie Bell, heading home too. 'It's been really fun living with them, having some familiarity over here, and bouncing our thoughts off each other after trainings, games and stuff,' Wallam says. Now Netball NZ has changed the Silver Ferns' eligibility rules, and Nweke could play another season in Australia and still wear the black dress, it's uncertain whether Wallam will return for another season in Auckland – especially with the future of the premiership here still to be revealed. But she's certain about one thing: 'I've absolutely loved it here.' Mystics and Tactix square off in the ANZ Premiership grand final in Auckland on Sunday at 4pm (the game will be live on Sky Sport). On the same day, Grace Nweke's Swifts will host the SSN preliminary final against the Vixens.
The Advertiser
16-07-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Snubbed shooter Wallam thrown a lifeline by Diamonds
Donnell Wallam is back in the Diamonds frame - albeit on the fringes - while Alice Teague-Neeld's hot Super Netball form has been rewarded with a full-time call-up to the Australian national squad. The Diamonds unveiled their 18-player squad for 2025-26 - plus four invitees - on Wednesday ahead of October's South Africa Series and the Constellation Cup against New Zealand. The squad, headlined by skipper Liz Watson and vice-captain Paige Hadley, features 10 World Cup champions and nine Commonwealth Games gold medallists. It also features seven athletes under the age of 25, showcasing coach Stacey Marinkovich's nod to generation next. There are three potential debutants among the squad - West Coast Fever star Teague-Neeld, Sunshine Coast defender Ash Ervin, and Melbourne Vixens mid-courter Hannah Mundy. Teague-Neeld has previously filled the role as an invitee, but has been elevated into the main squad following a standout campaign for the ladder-leading Fever. The four invitees for the year ahead are star goal shooter Wallam, Lucy Austin, Amy Sligar and Teigan O'Shannassy. Wallam scored a goal in the dying seconds of her Diamonds debut in 2022 to lift Australia to a thrilling 55-54 win over England. She was in tears after the match as she recounted the tough lead-up to the clash after finding herself at the centre of the Gina Rinehart Hancock sponsorship controversy. Wallam, a proud Noongar woman, had reportedly felt uncomfortable wearing the Hancock Prospecting logo emblazoned across the team's uniform, due to ethical concerns of the negative impact it would have on First Nations people. Racist genocidal comments made by Rinehart's late father, Lang Hancock, had also been raised as a major concern. Wallam's stance was supported by her Diamonds teammates, and it ended up costing Netball Australia a $15 million sponsorship deal with Rinehart. It was later revealed an unnamed Netball Australia senior official had advised the team not to wear the logo in that match against England. Wallam was sensationally let go by the struggling Queensland Firebirds last year, and after failing to land a deal with a rival Super Netball club, she joined the Northern Mystics in the NZ league. She has scored 275 goals across six matches - either side of missing three games with a wrist injury - to help lead the Mystics to the grand final. The 31-year-old's inclusion as an invitee in Marinkovich's Diamonds squad opens the door for her to resume her international career. The squad will come together for a five-day high-performance camp at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra in early September. A second preparation camp will follow from September 19, leading into the Diamonds' South Africa series and Constellation Cup in October. "It's only 372 days until the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, and every session, every match, every moment we get together is about setting ourselves up to be at our absolute best when it matters most," Marinkovich said. 2025-26 AUSTRALIAN DIAMONDS SQUAD: Sunday Aryang, Kiera Austin, Courtney Bruce, Sophie Dwyer, Ashleigh Ervin, Sophie Garbin, Matilda Garrett, Paige Hadley, Georgie Horjus, Sarah Klau, Cara Koenen, Kate Moloney, Hannah Mundy, Amy Parmenter, Jamie-Lee Price, Alice Teague-Neeld, Liz Watson, Joanna Weston INVITEES: Lucy Austin, Teigan O'Shannassy, Amy Sligar, Donnell Wallam Donnell Wallam is back in the Diamonds frame - albeit on the fringes - while Alice Teague-Neeld's hot Super Netball form has been rewarded with a full-time call-up to the Australian national squad. The Diamonds unveiled their 18-player squad for 2025-26 - plus four invitees - on Wednesday ahead of October's South Africa Series and the Constellation Cup against New Zealand. The squad, headlined by skipper Liz Watson and vice-captain Paige Hadley, features 10 World Cup champions and nine Commonwealth Games gold medallists. It also features seven athletes under the age of 25, showcasing coach Stacey Marinkovich's nod to generation next. There are three potential debutants among the squad - West Coast Fever star Teague-Neeld, Sunshine Coast defender Ash Ervin, and Melbourne Vixens mid-courter Hannah Mundy. Teague-Neeld has previously filled the role as an invitee, but has been elevated into the main squad following a standout campaign for the ladder-leading Fever. The four invitees for the year ahead are star goal shooter Wallam, Lucy Austin, Amy Sligar and Teigan O'Shannassy. Wallam scored a goal in the dying seconds of her Diamonds debut in 2022 to lift Australia to a thrilling 55-54 win over England. She was in tears after the match as she recounted the tough lead-up to the clash after finding herself at the centre of the Gina Rinehart Hancock sponsorship controversy. Wallam, a proud Noongar woman, had reportedly felt uncomfortable wearing the Hancock Prospecting logo emblazoned across the team's uniform, due to ethical concerns of the negative impact it would have on First Nations people. Racist genocidal comments made by Rinehart's late father, Lang Hancock, had also been raised as a major concern. Wallam's stance was supported by her Diamonds teammates, and it ended up costing Netball Australia a $15 million sponsorship deal with Rinehart. It was later revealed an unnamed Netball Australia senior official had advised the team not to wear the logo in that match against England. Wallam was sensationally let go by the struggling Queensland Firebirds last year, and after failing to land a deal with a rival Super Netball club, she joined the Northern Mystics in the NZ league. She has scored 275 goals across six matches - either side of missing three games with a wrist injury - to help lead the Mystics to the grand final. The 31-year-old's inclusion as an invitee in Marinkovich's Diamonds squad opens the door for her to resume her international career. The squad will come together for a five-day high-performance camp at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra in early September. A second preparation camp will follow from September 19, leading into the Diamonds' South Africa series and Constellation Cup in October. "It's only 372 days until the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, and every session, every match, every moment we get together is about setting ourselves up to be at our absolute best when it matters most," Marinkovich said. 2025-26 AUSTRALIAN DIAMONDS SQUAD: Sunday Aryang, Kiera Austin, Courtney Bruce, Sophie Dwyer, Ashleigh Ervin, Sophie Garbin, Matilda Garrett, Paige Hadley, Georgie Horjus, Sarah Klau, Cara Koenen, Kate Moloney, Hannah Mundy, Amy Parmenter, Jamie-Lee Price, Alice Teague-Neeld, Liz Watson, Joanna Weston INVITEES: Lucy Austin, Teigan O'Shannassy, Amy Sligar, Donnell Wallam Donnell Wallam is back in the Diamonds frame - albeit on the fringes - while Alice Teague-Neeld's hot Super Netball form has been rewarded with a full-time call-up to the Australian national squad. The Diamonds unveiled their 18-player squad for 2025-26 - plus four invitees - on Wednesday ahead of October's South Africa Series and the Constellation Cup against New Zealand. The squad, headlined by skipper Liz Watson and vice-captain Paige Hadley, features 10 World Cup champions and nine Commonwealth Games gold medallists. It also features seven athletes under the age of 25, showcasing coach Stacey Marinkovich's nod to generation next. There are three potential debutants among the squad - West Coast Fever star Teague-Neeld, Sunshine Coast defender Ash Ervin, and Melbourne Vixens mid-courter Hannah Mundy. Teague-Neeld has previously filled the role as an invitee, but has been elevated into the main squad following a standout campaign for the ladder-leading Fever. The four invitees for the year ahead are star goal shooter Wallam, Lucy Austin, Amy Sligar and Teigan O'Shannassy. Wallam scored a goal in the dying seconds of her Diamonds debut in 2022 to lift Australia to a thrilling 55-54 win over England. She was in tears after the match as she recounted the tough lead-up to the clash after finding herself at the centre of the Gina Rinehart Hancock sponsorship controversy. Wallam, a proud Noongar woman, had reportedly felt uncomfortable wearing the Hancock Prospecting logo emblazoned across the team's uniform, due to ethical concerns of the negative impact it would have on First Nations people. Racist genocidal comments made by Rinehart's late father, Lang Hancock, had also been raised as a major concern. Wallam's stance was supported by her Diamonds teammates, and it ended up costing Netball Australia a $15 million sponsorship deal with Rinehart. It was later revealed an unnamed Netball Australia senior official had advised the team not to wear the logo in that match against England. Wallam was sensationally let go by the struggling Queensland Firebirds last year, and after failing to land a deal with a rival Super Netball club, she joined the Northern Mystics in the NZ league. She has scored 275 goals across six matches - either side of missing three games with a wrist injury - to help lead the Mystics to the grand final. The 31-year-old's inclusion as an invitee in Marinkovich's Diamonds squad opens the door for her to resume her international career. The squad will come together for a five-day high-performance camp at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra in early September. A second preparation camp will follow from September 19, leading into the Diamonds' South Africa series and Constellation Cup in October. "It's only 372 days until the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, and every session, every match, every moment we get together is about setting ourselves up to be at our absolute best when it matters most," Marinkovich said. 2025-26 AUSTRALIAN DIAMONDS SQUAD: Sunday Aryang, Kiera Austin, Courtney Bruce, Sophie Dwyer, Ashleigh Ervin, Sophie Garbin, Matilda Garrett, Paige Hadley, Georgie Horjus, Sarah Klau, Cara Koenen, Kate Moloney, Hannah Mundy, Amy Parmenter, Jamie-Lee Price, Alice Teague-Neeld, Liz Watson, Joanna Weston INVITEES: Lucy Austin, Teigan O'Shannassy, Amy Sligar, Donnell Wallam
West Australian
16-07-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Snubbed shooter Wallam thrown a lifeline by Diamonds
Donnell Wallam is back in the Diamonds frame - albeit on the fringes - while Alice Teague-Neeld's hot Super Netball form has been rewarded with a full-time call-up to the Australian national squad. The Diamonds unveiled their 18-player squad for 2025-26 - plus four invitees - on Wednesday ahead of October's South Africa Series and the Constellation Cup against New Zealand. The squad, headlined by skipper Liz Watson and vice-captain Paige Hadley, features 10 World Cup champions and nine Commonwealth Games gold medallists. It also features seven athletes under the age of 25, showcasing coach Stacey Marinkovich's nod to generation next. There are three potential debutants among the squad - West Coast Fever star Teague-Neeld, Sunshine Coast defender Ash Ervin, and Melbourne Vixens mid-courter Hannah Mundy. Teague-Neeld has previously filled the role as an invitee, but has been elevated into the main squad following a standout campaign for the ladder-leading Fever. The four invitees for the year ahead are star goal shooter Wallam, Lucy Austin, Amy Sligar and Teigan O'Shannassy. Wallam scored a goal in the dying seconds of her Diamonds debut in 2022 to lift Australia to a thrilling 55-54 win over England. She was in tears after the match as she recounted the tough lead-up to the clash after finding herself at the centre of the Gina Rinehart Hancock sponsorship controversy. Wallam, a proud Noongar woman, had reportedly felt uncomfortable wearing the Hancock Prospecting logo emblazoned across the team's uniform, due to ethical concerns of the negative impact it would have on First Nations people. Racist genocidal comments made by Rinehart's late father, Lang Hancock, had also been raised as a major concern. Wallam's stance was supported by her Diamonds teammates, and it ended up costing Netball Australia a $15 million sponsorship deal with Rinehart. It was later revealed an unnamed Netball Australia senior official had advised the team not to wear the logo in that match against England. Wallam was sensationally let go by the struggling Queensland Firebirds last year, and after failing to land a deal with a rival Super Netball club, she joined the Northern Mystics in the NZ league. She has scored 275 goals across six matches - either side of missing three games with a wrist injury - to help lead the Mystics to the grand final. The 31-year-old's inclusion as an invitee in Marinkovich's Diamonds squad opens the door for her to resume her international career. The squad will come together for a five-day high-performance camp at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra in early September. A second preparation camp will follow from September 19, leading into the Diamonds' South Africa series and Constellation Cup in October. "It's only 372 days until the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, and every session, every match, every moment we get together is about setting ourselves up to be at our absolute best when it matters most," Marinkovich said. 2025-26 AUSTRALIAN DIAMONDS SQUAD: Sunday Aryang, Kiera Austin, Courtney Bruce, Sophie Dwyer, Ashleigh Ervin, Sophie Garbin, Matilda Garrett, Paige Hadley, Georgie Horjus, Sarah Klau, Cara Koenen, Kate Moloney, Hannah Mundy, Amy Parmenter, Jamie-Lee Price, Alice Teague-Neeld, Liz Watson, Joanna Weston INVITEES: Lucy Austin, Teigan O'Shannassy, Amy Sligar, Donnell Wallam
Perth Now
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Snubbed shooter Wallam thrown a lifeline by Diamonds
Donnell Wallam is back in the Diamonds frame - albeit on the fringes - while Alice Teague-Neeld's hot Super Netball form has been rewarded with a full-time call-up to the Australian national squad. The Diamonds unveiled their 18-player squad for 2025-26 - plus four invitees - on Wednesday ahead of October's South Africa Series and the Constellation Cup against New Zealand. The squad, headlined by skipper Liz Watson and vice-captain Paige Hadley, features 10 World Cup champions and nine Commonwealth Games gold medallists. It also features seven athletes under the age of 25, showcasing coach Stacey Marinkovich's nod to generation next. There are three potential debutants among the squad - West Coast Fever star Teague-Neeld, Sunshine Coast defender Ash Ervin, and Melbourne Vixens mid-courter Hannah Mundy. Teague-Neeld has previously filled the role as an invitee, but has been elevated into the main squad following a standout campaign for the ladder-leading Fever. The four invitees for the year ahead are star goal shooter Wallam, Lucy Austin, Amy Sligar and Teigan O'Shannassy. Wallam scored a goal in the dying seconds of her Diamonds debut in 2022 to lift Australia to a thrilling 55-54 win over England. She was in tears after the match as she recounted the tough lead-up to the clash after finding herself at the centre of the Gina Rinehart Hancock sponsorship controversy. Wallam, a proud Noongar woman, had reportedly felt uncomfortable wearing the Hancock Prospecting logo emblazoned across the team's uniform, due to ethical concerns of the negative impact it would have on First Nations people. Racist genocidal comments made by Rinehart's late father, Lang Hancock, had also been raised as a major concern. Wallam's stance was supported by her Diamonds teammates, and it ended up costing Netball Australia a $15 million sponsorship deal with Rinehart. It was later revealed an unnamed Netball Australia senior official had advised the team not to wear the logo in that match against England. Wallam was sensationally let go by the struggling Queensland Firebirds last year, and after failing to land a deal with a rival Super Netball club, she joined the Northern Mystics in the NZ league. She has scored 275 goals across six matches - either side of missing three games with a wrist injury - to help lead the Mystics to the grand final. The 31-year-old's inclusion as an invitee in Marinkovich's Diamonds squad opens the door for her to resume her international career. The squad will come together for a five-day high-performance camp at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra in early September. A second preparation camp will follow from September 19, leading into the Diamonds' South Africa series and Constellation Cup in October. "It's only 372 days until the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, and every session, every match, every moment we get together is about setting ourselves up to be at our absolute best when it matters most," Marinkovich said. 2025-26 AUSTRALIAN DIAMONDS SQUAD: Sunday Aryang, Kiera Austin, Courtney Bruce, Sophie Dwyer, Ashleigh Ervin, Sophie Garbin, Matilda Garrett, Paige Hadley, Georgie Horjus, Sarah Klau, Cara Koenen, Kate Moloney, Hannah Mundy, Amy Parmenter, Jamie-Lee Price, Alice Teague-Neeld, Liz Watson, Joanna Weston INVITEES: Lucy Austin, Teigan O'Shannassy, Amy Sligar, Donnell Wallam
Scoop
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Mystics March Into Grand Final After Outclassing Tactix
The Northern Mystics have been crowned Minor Premiers and will host the Grand Final in two weeks after delivering a comprehensive 70-56 win over VIP Frames and Trusses Tactix in Auckland on Sunday. The Tactix will return home to Christchurch to face Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse in next Sunday's Elimination Final with plenty to ponder after being outclassed across the board by a slick Mystics side who showed few deficiencies. Meeting in the final round of the regular season set the perfect scenario with the No 1 Mystics and No 2 Tactix squaring off to decide hosting rights for the Grand Final. Needing to win by six or more to have the opportunity to host the Grand Final in Christchurch, the Tactix fell well short. Snatching the opening turnover from the Tactix first pass, the Mystics didn't take another backward glance as they powered away, turning on the quality and leading from start to finish while leaving the southerners in their wake. Losing their first clash by nine goals in Round 4 without the services of an injured Donnell Wallam, the prolific shooter was back for the re-match between the two form teams of the league and played a prominent role in nailing 57 goals. With both teams at full-strength, the Mystics showed their depth of quality. Breaking the first centre pass set the Mystics on their way to holding the edge through the opening quarter where rising young defender Catherine Hall stamped her mark early. Showing her excellent footwork and hands, Hall was responsible for five gains at the defensive end where at the other end, Wallam was equally influential under the hoop. Struggling to contain the 1.93m height of Wallam, the Tactix defensive pairing of Karin Burger and Jane Watson came into their own late in the piece with some strong bustling play and turnover opportunities. The Mystics finished an entertaining and high-scoring first quarter with their noses in front when leading 18-14. The home side burst into dominating mode during the second quarter, the accumulated defensive pressure applied by Tayla Earle, Katie Te Ao, Michaela Sokolich-Beatson and Hall suffocating the Tactix options while forcing panicky play. That provided front-foot ball for the Mystics attackers, with Peta Toeava coming into her own after being well-contained in the first quarter, resulting in the tall figure of Wallam looming large and reigning supreme under the hoop. With the Mystics going on a 12-4 run, the Tactix hand was forced with a tactical timeout called by the visitors and subsequent changes with shooter Martina Salmon and midcourter Parris Petera being injected. Trailing by 12 at one stage, the Tactix responded, taking small steps at chipping into the deficit but still had work to do when staring down a 37-29 advantage to the Mystics at the main break. Anchored by their rocks at either end of the court, the Mystics extended their dominance during a withering third stanza. Flush with options, the introduction of Holly Rae at goal defence didn't nothing to detract from the Mystics mastery across all facets of play. The Tactix had few answers to breaching the home side's water-tight defensive unit while also being powerless against the rock-solid Wallam and the Australian import's impact under the hoop. While she missed a few shots, Wallam invariably got the rebound as the Mystics stretched their advantage to double digits. Needing super shots to get back into the contest, the Tactix couldn't find any reward from double-point range, left well on the back foot when trailing 54-39 at the last turn.
