Northern Mystics have secured their fourth ANZ Premiership title, beating Southern Steel 56-46 in Saturday night's final in Auckland to become the competition's most successful franchise.
The Auckland side overcame a season disrupted by injuries, including the mid-season loss of Silver Fern defender Catherine Hall to a foot injury, with younger players filling the gaps left by absent starters.
Mystics coach Tia Winikerei said last year's grand final defeat on the same court shaped their 2026 campaign. "You never forget that, you never forget how it feels, you just want to go and hide for days on end," she said.
Three of the four players who started their first final in 2025 were named in the starting lineup again this year.
Mystics captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson, who has now collected four titles with the franchise, said the depth of contribution made the win special. "For this one we really had to dig deep and we had to use our entire team all year and it's really special when you know everyone contributed," she said.
Steel coach Wendy Frew said the Mystics had prepared well and executed on the night. "It hurts … but I think we prepared well and we did everything we could and we were just outclassed by a classy Mystics side," she said.
The Steel were chasing their first title since winning back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018.
Sokolich-Beatson became emotional at the post-match presentation when speaking about netball's uncertain future, with Netball New Zealand yet to confirm whether the ANZ Premiership will continue in 2027. "As players and management we've dedicated our lives to this sport and it makes me sad because you all know the state of netball at the moment ... we really want to keep playing," she said.