It’s often the victories that come after adversity that taste the sweetest. The MG Mystics are certainly savouring this year’s triumph in the wake of what was a rollercoaster of epic proportions.

In claiming the club’s first ever back-to-back title, the Mystics also draw equal with the Pulse as the most successful ANZ Premiership franchise in history with three titles to their name – 2021, 2023 and now 2024. Five players out of the Mystics’ 12-strong squad have been part of every one of those three titles. They are Grace Nweke, Peta Toeava, Tayla Earle, Filda Vui and Phoenix Karaka, although Karaka didn’t play in 2021 while she took time away to have a baby.

All teams come hunting

Those players will know more than most that defending champions always go into a new season with a target on their backs and that was certainly the case for the Mystics this year. It was arguably one of the most hotly contested ANZ Premiership seasons in history and every team was gunning to dethrone the Mystics from the very beginning.

The Te Wānanga O Raukawa Pulse and the Trident Homes Tactix proved to be the biggest threats, with both teams jostling for top of the table after every round. The Mystics sat inside the top three after every round, with the exception of rounds 10 and 11 when the AVIS Magic looked to be in pole position to pip the Mystics for an Elimination Final spot.

A series of road bumps along the way

It wasn’t long before the Mystics encountered their first in a series of challenges when Grace Nweke went down with a knee injury during their round three match versus the Tactix. It was the Mystics’ first defeat of the season and spelled early trouble for the defending champions as head coach Tia Winikerei and assistant coach Rob Wright were forced to plan B to navigate what would turn out to be a seven week stint without their star-shooter.

In the games to come it was veteran Mystics goal-attack Filda Vui and the newest player in blue, Hannah Glen, who would step up to fill the void left by Nweke, proving the strength of the Mystics bench and the depth of talent in the squad. The pair were supplemented by rising star and Mystics training partner Dani Binks who would go on to earn her stripes as a fully-contracted member of the squad by the season’s end.

The team battled on, notching up important wins over the Stars and the Magic to remain in the top three on the ladder, but suffered a shock loss to the Steel in Dunedin to start what would be a three-game losing spiral midway through the season. To make matters worse, the Mystics were ruing the loss of play-maker Peta Toeava who went down with an injury in the team’s round 8 loss to the Tactix. It was back to the drawing board once again for Winikerei and Wright who called on the experience of Kayla Johnson (née Cullen) to plug the gap in the midcourt. Johnson made her return for the Mystics in round 9 versus the Pulse in what was her first appearance in the blue dress since 2016 and her first ANZ Premiership match in two years. Johnson was a welcome addition to the arsenal of Tayla Earle and Katie Te Ao in the middle, but without Nweke and Toeava the Mystics struggled to find their rhythm.

Despite the turbulence on court, the Mystics still found reason to celebrate with Filda Vui ringing in her 50th national league match. Vui debuted for the Mystics in 2020 and has played every single one of her professional games since in the blue dress. Vui would prove to be a valuable asset for the side in the absence of a tall, holding shooter in Nweke. Her accuracy from long-range and her composure under pressure was often enough to keep the Mystics in the fight and she regularly finished up with above 90% shooting accuracy and an impressive shot volume to boot.

A change in fortunes

In round 11 Nweke made her long-awaited return to court for the Mystics in the third quarter of their match versus the Magic. Despite a heavy loss to the Magic that saw them fall outside of the top three for the first time in the season, the Mystics looked hopeful with Nweke showing promising signs of her earlier form. It would become the last loss of the season for the Mystics and herald a change in fortunes for the defending champions.

The following week saw Toeava return to court after a three-week absence, suiting up for the Mystics in a come-back streak that started with a revenge victory over table-toppers the Tactix. It was the first of four sudden-death games for the Mystics as they hung on to hopes of an Elimination Finals spot and a chance to defend their title.

They would go on to defeat the Steel, the Pulse and the Stars en route to the Elimination Final in what was a remarkable show of character, resilience and unity under the ultimate pressure.

With the Pulse already coming away with the minor premiership victory and a direct ticket to the Grand Final, the Mystics locked eyes on the Tactix once again for an all-or-nothing Elimination Final showdown at Wolfbrook Arena in Christchurch.

It came down to the wire, with the Mystics pulling away late in the piece to a four-goal victory to book a place in the Big Dance. It was extra sweet for the Mystics who also celebrated captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson’s 100th national league match in what was her ninth season in the blue dress.

A win against all odds

The stage was set for an epic battle in the capital with the defending champions going into the Grand Final as underdogs versus the Pulse who had enjoyed a dream run into the finals with 12 wins out of 15 in the round robin.

Both sides were back to full strength for the Grand Final and it would prove to be one of the closest in ANZ Premiership history with neither team giving an inch right up until the final seconds. The lead changed multiple times throughout the match, with neither side able to gain a foothold. With just seconds remaining on the clock the Mystics found themselves in possession with the score tied at 53-all. After playing the ball around in the shooting third to use up time, the Mystics’ hopes ultimately rested in Nweke’s hands. She had us all out of our seats with a near miss, but was able to get her own rebound and score a clutch shot right on the buzzer to seal the win 54 – 53.

Emotions ran high as the ticker-tape rained down on the back-to-back champions, lifting the ANZ Premiership trophy once again in front of whānau, friends and loyal fans. The trophy will take pride of place alongside the Hobbiton Cup and the Barfoot & Thompson Northern Challenge, all safe in the trophy cabinet for another season.

The win has also created history around the world, with the Mystics joining the Adelaide Thunderbirds and the Loughborough Lightning as one of three defending champions to go back-to-back in the three major global netball leagues.

It is also a crowning moment for Auckland sport, with the Mystics adding to the ’09’s other major sporting titles this year including the Blues’ Super Rugby Pacific and Super Rugby Aupiki championship victories.

The Mystics now enter the 2025 season as back-to-back champions and once again with a target on their backs, but they have shown time and time again that pressure is a privilege and they’re up for the fight. We’ll see you all again next year as we go for the three-peat!