T-Birds cap off near-flawless season with record number of wins
Adelaide Thunderbirds break Super Netball record with 13-win season
Adelaide Thunderbirds vice-captain Tayla Williams says she's hopeful the team is "prepared for whatever finals throws at us". (ABC News)
In short:
The Adelaide Thunderbirds are preparing for a home semi-final against the Melbourne Vixens, after a record-breaking 13-win season.
The match will be held at the Adelaide 36ers Arena due to a scheduling clash with Disney On Ice at the Entertainment Centre.
What's next?
The Thunderbirds are hoping to secure three premierships in four years as the favourite entering the Super Netball finals series.
The Adelaide Thunderbirds have capped off a near flawless season, with a dominant 67 to 49 goal win against the Sunshine Coast Lightning on Saturday night.
Adelaide's 13th win of the year means they have broken the Super Netball record for victories in a home-and-away season.
Shamera Sterling-Humphrey of the Thunderbirds competes for the ball against Cara Koenen of the Lightning during Saturday night's game. (Getty Images: Mackenzie Sweetnam)
The Thunderbirds lost just once against the second-placed Vixens in Melbourne in round six, but still comfortably took home the 2026 minor premiership.
It has been a season to remember for a number of T-Birds, most notably defensive stalwarts Latanya Wilson and Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, who helped Adelaide record the league's stingiest defence.
Adelaide will now turn its attention to a home semi-final at the Adelaide 36ers arena on Sunday June 21, with the Entertainment Centre unavailable due to a scheduling clash.
"It wasn't that long ago we played a semi-final there and won by 20-odd goals," coach Tania Obst said at a press conference on Thursday.
Tania Obst says her side would be taking it one game at a time, with a third premiership just a few wins away. (ABC News: Dean Faulkner)
"The noise in that semi-final, I just remember it was amazing.
"The crowd feels a little bit more on top of you in the game, which I think for an opposition wouldn't be pleasing."
If the Thunderbirds were to go all the way, it would cement them as one of the greatest sides of the modern era, after premiership success in 2023 and 2024.
Obst is all too familiar with what it takes to win, but said she was more focused on the journey than the end result.
"It would be great at the end of the season after we've won the grand final to reflect on that, but I'm very process driven and 13 wins is the result of great training and great execution of the game plan," she said.
Tayla Williams (left) in 2024 after securing the premiership. (Getty: Maya Thompson)
Speaking at that same press conference, vice-captain Tayla Williams echoed her coach's thoughts and said securing a home semi final was "a significant advantage".
She believes the home and away season has prepared Adelaide to go all the way.
"We've tried lots of different combinations and we've had different types of games, close ones, and bigger margins," Williams said.
"So I guess the variety in our performances has been really pleasing and hopefully have a little bit more of that so we're prepared with whatever finals throws at us."