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26 April 2026  3 min read

Playoff Finals 2026: NBL1, WNBL1 winners, recaps, gallery & reaction

The day tipped off with the WNBL Division Final as regular-season champs London Cavaliers were shocked by Anglia Ruskin University 78-56, before the NBL Division One showpiece between Pool B winners Solent Kestrels and Pool A top dogs Worcester Wolves went the way of the Kestrels, completing their treble for the season with a 74-66 win.

A recap of each game is below, and live stats can be viewed by clicking the title of each final. There's also a gallery of images at the bottom of the page.

WNBL1 Playoff Final: London Cavaliers 56-78 Anglia Ruskin University

Anglia Ruskin University claimed their first playoff title since 2018/19, as they shocked top seeds and regular-season champs London Cavaliers 78-56.

Averaging 32.4 three-point attempts during the season, ARU set their stall out early as seven of their first eight field goal attempts were all from beyond the arc.

With a 33-28 ARU lead at the half, Ruskin would hit back-to-back-to-back triples to open the third, providing the platform for a 31-13 frame that would break the game open.

As good as ARU's offensive production was, holding a Cavs side that averaged 76.6PPG during the regular-season to just 56 points highlighted Ruskin's defensive effort.

Forward Faye Parker (11pts, 9reb, 2blk) anchored the cause, with guards Vicky Gray (19pts, 5reb, 6ast), Tia Freeman (11pts, 13reb, 7ast, 4stl, 2blk) and Abby Conlee (12pts, 5reb, 6ast) all doing their part.

MVP honours would go to ARU captain Ilaria Zaffaroni for her game-high 25 points, hitting four of her side's 11 made triples to go with a pair of rebounds and two assists.

ARU's fight and hustle limited D1W Team of the Year selection Chinwe Iwunze to just eight points, leaving Janice Monakana (22pts, 8reb) and Mrashi Karumba-Roberts (18pts, 10reb) as the only double-digit scorers for a Cavs side that added a second finals loss to their season, after a heart-breaking defeat in January's WNBL National Cup Final.

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NBL1 Playoff Final: Solent Kestrels 74-66 Worcester Wolves

Solent completed their league, cup and playoff treble with a hard-fought 74-66 victory against Worcester Wolves.

In a fitting showpiece between the top-two D1M sides during the regular-season, Solent found a way to just edge ahead of a dogged opponent, as they have so many times in recent years.

Drawing from across their deep roster to get themselves over the line, Solent's shared load was demonstrated by six different players contributing six or more points to the Kestrels' total, allowing the South coast programme to win their first D1M title since 2021/22.

Solent's lead flirted with the 15-point mark in both the second and fourth quarter, but credit to the Wolves as they fought back on both occasions to threaten a mighty comeback.

Coach Guymon's side would eventually shut the door on those plans, led by MVP Andre Arissol as he dropped a game-high 19 points to go with four assists, leading a team effort with plenty of cameos.

Young guard Ethan Round (16pts, 4reb) provided some key buckets, Luke Busumbru (6pts, 6reb, 4ast) and Ash Briggs (6pts, 4reb, 5ast) both gave well-rounded performances, and forward Wayne Kitenge (4pts, 8reb) had an underrated role off the bench with a +/- of 10 and four offensive boards.

In a battle of D1M's regular-season MVPs, Arissol came out on top as Worcester's Earl Burgess closed with seven points. Wilfrid Santhe (17pts, 5reb, 4ast) and Emmanuel Yeboah (14pts, 6reb, 3blk) were the only Wolves into double digits on the scoreboard.

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