Lynx Storm Home to Stun Flames in Perth Thriller

The Perth Lynx lit up their home floor in dramatic fashion, overturning a 10-point deficit to snatch a 73–67 win over the Sydney Flames at the Perth High Performance Centre on Sunday afternoon.

Trailing by double digits at three-quarter time, the Lynx unleashed a 25–9 final-quarter blitz to clinch their second win of the WNBL26 season and cap a memorable home opener.

Amy Atwell was unstoppable down the stretch, finishing with 24 points and nine rebounds, while Anneli Maley produced another trademark double-double with 17 points and 17 rebounds. Together, they ignited Perth’s comeback after a frustrating three quarters.

With just 27 seconds left, Perth clung to a one-point lead before Tegan Graham and Atwell calmly iced the result at the free-throw line. Graham also starred defensively, shutting down Sydney’s in-form scorer Lauren Nicholson, who was held to just five points in the second half after torching the Lynx for 20 before halftime.

“I knew she had 20 of their 42, and the coaches made sure I knew it,” Graham said post-game. “My job was to make sure she didn’t touch the ball — it was a long 40-minute game, but I stayed locked in.”

The win was even more impressive considering the Lynx were without key players Steph Gorman and Ally Wilson, both sidelined with pre-season injuries. Coach Ryan Petrik confirmed both are close to returning.

For Sydney, it was another heartbreaking loss — their second in three days following defeat to Southside. Nicholson still led all scorers with 25 points, while Unique Thompson notched 12 points, 12 rebounds and four steals, but the Flames couldn’t maintain their early control.

Sydney dominated the first half, shooting out to a 42–34 lead behind Nicholson’s hot hand. But as fatigue crept in, Perth ramped up their physicality, forcing stops and turning defence into transition points.

The Flames’ shooting woes proved costly, missing 51 shots on the night, as Perth’s confidence surged behind their home crowd. A tense final minute saw the Lynx stay composed at the line to complete a gutsy comeback victory.

The Lynx move to 2–0 at home and will look to continue their momentum next week, while the Flames return to Sydney searching for answers after back-to-back road losses.

Final score: Perth Lynx 73 defeated Sydney Flames 67.