Southside Flyers' sensational WNBL championship was one for the record books but history won't display the toughness and resilience the team oozed postseason.
The Flyers played all six possible finals games on the way to defeating Perth Lynx, 115-81, in the Grand Final decider on Sunday and in doing so became the first team to win both the semi and grand final series with a deciding third game.
Southside twice overcame 20-plus point losses in both series to respond and ultimately win their second-ever title, doing so with the most-experienced roster in the competition.
The Grand Final form line, in many ways, was indictive of Southside's season; a disappointing defeat became a statement response.
In the series opener on March 11, the Flyers were pumped by Perth to the tune of 22 points in Melbourne, days later in WA they levelled the series thanks to a last-gasp basket from import centre Mercedes Russell. Returning home riding a wave of momentum and belief, the Flyers soared on their home court with a resounding victory in the decider.
Coach Cheryl Chambers has lived every Grand Final experience in her 250-plus game coaching career. Single game wins and losses, 2-0 series whitewashes as the winner and loser and now the ultimate championship fightback.
Her belief in her team and renowned calm temperament was as crucial to the Flyers fortunes as the adjusted game plan and execution of the scout to curb the impact of Perth sharpshooter Amy Atwell.
Sunday was Chambers' third title from five attempts dating back to 2008-09.
This trophy represented so much to Australia's greatest ever basketballer Lauren Jackson.
The triumph came 25 years after her first WNBL title, with an Australian Institute of Sport team of superstar teenagers in 1999, and 14 since her last with the Canberra Capitals in 2010 at the same Parkville venue.
When the Flyers were swept 2-0 by Townsville a year ago, Jackson, now 42, watched on from the sidelines recovering from a ruptured Achilles and broken foot sustained in the months following her stunning World Cup comeback in Sydney which netted the Opals a bronze medal. Her return to the court, again, after hellish injuries was remarkable, awe inspiring and capped with championship glory, for a seventh time.
Twelve months ago, point guard marvel Leilani Mitchell made an unexpected return to the league playing a handful of games for Melbourne after giving birth to daughter Elle in 2022.
With a preseason under her belt, the two-time Olympian signed up for a full season, forced her way into the starting five mid-season then proved a catalyst in Southside's campaign.
With a high IQ, winning pedigree and ice running through her veins, Mitchell's impact on the finals was profound. The 38-year-old now has four WNBL titles to her name, three in partnership with Chambers.
Russell was an inaugural Flyer in 2019-20, when Southside fell short of Canberra 2-0 in the finale, and intended to return to Australia the following season before the pandemic hit.
Eager to get back Down Under, the towering centre, who mixes competitiveness with composure, was welcomed with open arms on arrival to Melbourne in October.
A two-time WNBA champion with Seattle Storm, Russell's presence and consistency at both ends of the floor made her the league's premier big. She shone on the biggest stages and was awarded the Rachael Sporn Medal for the Grand Final Series' Most Valuable Player.
Sacrifice and selflessness are keys to team success and import guard Jasmine Dickey and captain Bec Cole embraced their respective roles for the greater good of the team and a chance at a championship.
Dickey, who played for Dallas Wings in the WNBA last year, began the season in the starting lineup but was later moved to the bench, taking it upon herself to come into the game and provide an instant spark which earned her the nickname 'microwave'.
Whether it be with her relentless defence, speed or ability to score quickly, the 24-year-old delivered, never more so than throughout the playoffs.
A natural scorer and league veteran who earned life membership this season, Cole at times struggled to find her place in the offence during the regular rounds but in the Grand Final series produced her greatest act as captain.
Another of the Flyers who experienced the bitter taste of a straight sets defeat in 2022-23, Cole was prepared to play her role for the team and after Atwell blew up for 30 points in the opening game not only curbed her impact but managed to add 35 points of her own across the last two games.
Ultimately, it was the one percenters, character and wealth of winning experience that propelled the Flyers to success, all vital championship elements that can't be measured on a stat sheet.