More celebrations from term 6! Last year’s Year 7 girls (Sofia, Nourann, Nahia, Eleonor, Sophia, Amelia, Aalyia, Sahar), now in Year 8, made history this summer by becoming the only team from WA to qualify for the Jr. NBA London Final 4 Tournament, held at the University of East London - and the experience will stay with them for a long time.

The journey to the Final 4 was filled with effort, resilience, and belief. The team’s excitement was palpable when they found out they had qualified: “When we heard the news after one of our games, we were absolutely buzzing. It was such an achievement, and we were all eager to go and represent our school.”

On tournament day, the atmosphere was electric. While the team didn’t have much time to mix with other schools, the occasion itself felt special. Being chosen to compete at this level was a moment of pride - and even though the team didn’t win their matches on the day, the girls walked away with something far more lasting: perspective, growth, and unity.

“Sure, we lost both games,” one team member reflected, “but what mattered was that we made it to the finals and all the playoffs. That reminded us how far we’d come, and how important it is to stay positive, focused, and — most importantly — have fun.”

One powerful lesson stuck with the team: “Losing isn’t the end of the world. One failure doesn’t define success. Our coach told us that mistakes aren’t what matter — what matters is learning from them.”

The Jr. NBA experience gave the Westminster Academy girls a platform to grow not just as basketball players, but as confident, reflective individuals. Their journey stands as a reminder of the true spirit of sport — celebrating progress, learning through setbacks, and supporting each other as a team.

Coach Dodi, Head Coach, Greenhouse Basketball at WA