The Northern Mystics have claimed the most valuable prize in New Zealand club netball ahead of finals weekend, sealing top spot in the ANZ Premiership and the right to host this year’s grand final on their own Auckland court.
The Mystics did it the hard way on Saturday night, riding out a genuine scare from the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic before pulling clear late for a 53-42 win that locked in a fourth minor premiership for the club. The result, reported by RNZ, means the side that topped the regular season will now play the title decider at home on 27 June, with their opponent to be settled in the elimination final between the Southern Steel and the defending champion Mainland Tactix.
For long stretches it looked as though the Magic might gatecrash the celebrations. The Mystics raced out of the blocks to take the opening quarter 15-7 and seemed set to coast, only for the visitors to flip the contest in the second spell. The Magic outscored the home side 15-8 in that quarter to drag themselves right back into it, and the Mystics took just a one-goal lead into the main break, a margin that did not reflect how strongly they had started.
The turning point was a shooting change. With the Magic squeezing the life out of the Mystics attack, coach Tia Winikerei pulled Silver Ferns shooter Maia Wilson, who had converted ten goals, and sent on Sophia Lafaiali’i midway through the second quarter. The move paid off handsomely. Lafaiali’i poured in 27 goals across 37 minutes on court, steadying the Mystics shooting circle and giving them a focal point under the post when the game was there to be lost.
The third quarter settled it. The Mystics edged that period 16-12 to stretch clear, and from there they had enough breathing room to manage the run home. Veteran defender Phoenix Karaka was once again influential at the other end, winning crucial ball and turning Magic possession into Mystics attack, the kind of unglamorous work that wins tight playoff matches.
For the Magic, it was a frustrating night that still carried plenty of promise. Saviour Tui led their shooting end and kept them in the contest through the middle quarters, and the side will take heart from a finish to the season that has lifted them off the bottom. The previously winless Magic had arrived in Auckland on the back of consecutive wins, including a 50-39 result over the Central Pulse the week before, so the upward curve is real even if it ran out of road against the competition’s form team.
Top spot is a significant marker for a Mystics outfit that has quietly rebuilt. The club sits among the most successful franchises in the ANZ Premiership era, with championships in 2021, 2023 and 2024, the last of those sealed by Grace Nweke’s buzzer-beater against the Pulse in one of the most dramatic grand finals the competition has produced. Nweke has since moved across the Tasman to the NSW Swifts, and much of the pre-season talk centred on whether the Mystics could stay at the top without the best shooter in the world anchoring their attack.
The answer, so far, has been yes. Rather than lean on a single dominant target, the Mystics have spread the shooting load between Wilson and Lafaiali’i, leaned on the experience of Karaka and the playmaking of their midcourt, and ground out the wins that matter. Their late-season form has been the standout of the competition, including an extra-time win over the Steel to move into first place and a top-of-the-table victory over the champion Tactix that signalled they were the team to beat.
Hosting the grand final is no small advantage. The Mystics have built a loyal Auckland following and a strong home record, and playing the decider in front of their own crowd removes the travel and the hostile venue that can unsettle a visiting side on the biggest night of the year. They will not know their opponent until the Steel and Tactix sort out second and third place, but either way the Mystics will go in as favourites and with the comfort of home advantage.
For the wider competition, a Mystics home final is a tidy story. The franchise that lost its superstar and was written off in some quarters has answered with a minor premiership and a shot at a fourth title, while the Tactix carry the weight of being defending champions and the Steel chase a fairytale run from third. The grand final on 27 June now shapes as one of the better finishes the ANZ Premiership has served up in recent seasons.
First, though, comes the elimination final, and the small matter of who gets the unenviable task of trying to beat the Mystics in their own backyard.
Who do you think the Mystics will face in the grand final, and can anyone stop them at home? Have your say in the comments below.
This article was written by AI, briefed to report the facts, hopefully without some of the bias people bring to the job 🙂
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