‘Keep your mouth shut’: WNBL captain answers critics

Steve Barrett | February 19, 2026

Fired-up Southside Melbourne captain Cayla George has called for the armchair experts to shut their mouths and quit the disrespect after the Flyers’ resounding 109-89 victory over Townsville Fire in game two of their WNBL semifinal series.

Southside (11-12) had been written off by many as just making up the playoff numbers after finishing a distant fourth at the end of the regular season – well behind Townsville (19-4), grand final-bound Perth Lynx (18-5) and Bendigo Spirit (16-7).

That feeling intensified when the Flyers crashed to a humbling 28-point loss in Sunday’s opening game.

But George (32 points, 11 rebounds) gave the Fire more than they could handle to square the series 1-1 at Victoria’s State Basketball Centre on Wednesday, before giving the critics a piece of her mind.

“The disrespect has been pretty loud and clear,” George told ESPN after the match.

“It’s not very nice to hear, but the outside noise doesn’t mean a whole lot within our bubble.

“We had to lock in tonight and I’m really proud of the girls for locking in.”

After the Lynx swept the Spirit 2-0 in the other semi-final, many felt the same fate would befall Southside.

Instead, the Flyers made the doubters eat their words.

“The outside noise is always going to be there, with whatever team you play for,” George said.

“But it’s been real loud and clear, and certain individuals time and time again were preparing for a Townsville-Perth grand final series.

“That’s all well and good. It might be that series.

“That’s the beauty of basketball – there’s one more game to decide it.

“But until that game’s played, maybe keep your mouth shut.”

Maddy Rocci racked up 23 points and 11 assists without a turnover to engineer the Flyers’ 48-point turnaround.

Those same vocal cynics that George called out also added fuel to Rocci’s fire.

“We spoke about the disrespect that we’ve had as a playing group,” Rocci said.

“When we listen to the outside noise, to hear what they have to say, and have the disrespect to tell us that we’re just making up numbers, that it’s going to be a Perth-Townsville grand final … going into the next game, it fires you up even more.

“For me personally, to hear what people have to say and listen to commentary and all that stuff, it definitely did put a lot of fire into me.”