Perth Lynx co-captain Anneli Maley registers historic triple-double in massive WNBL win over Sydney Flames

Perth Lynx co-captain Anneli Maley has ramped up the pressure on MVP voters in the last game of the WNBL season, with a historic triple-double while leading her team to a 15-point victory over Sydney Flames. The Lynx won 108-93 to lock away second spot on the WNBL ladder, but Maley’s brilliance was the highlight of the day. She scored 18 points, won 10 rebounds and had 10 assists to put an exclamation mark on her season. Only Michele Timms, Tully Bevilaqua, Deanna Black and Melissa Marsh had produced triple-doubles throughout the club’s history. Marsh was the last player to do so in 200,9 and she was watching from courtside. Maley had 13 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds at three-quarter time, and the big question was whether she would spend enough time on the court in the last term to create history. She was subbed out with 6:39 remaining in the game and only needing one rebound for her triple-double. She looked set to return moments later, but the Lynx decided to play their bench instead. Coach Ryan Petrik sensed the moment, though and brought her back on for the last two and a half minutes, allowing her to create history. Maley will compete with Bendigo’s Isobel Borlase and Townsville’s Courtney Woods for the WNBL MVP award in Sydney on Monday. That award will be voted on by coaches, captains and a panel of experts. She previously won the MVP award as a Bendigo player during the 2021-22 season. Maley has been brilliant since joining Perth three years ago and has twice broken the club record for the mos rebounds in a single game. While Maley was the star, the game will also be remembered for Perth turning the day into an episode of Young Talent Time. The club had already made the decision to rest star pair Ally Wilson and Steph Gorman given their ladder position couldn’t change, then lost Tegan Graham due to illness on game day. Kiara Waite, Alira Fotu, Jaya Scafidi, Kyana Weir and Kuir Gayo all relished the chance to get key opportunities. Scafidi had the team jumping for joy after scoring her first WNBL points with a three-pointer on the half-time buzzer. She finished with 13 points, and Fotu finished with six. Morris also had a huge game with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Han Xu also had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Amy Atwell top-scored with 22 points,