Celje claim 22nd Slovenian women's title, 15th in a row

Cinkarna Celje rallied from a halftime deficit to beat Ilirija 72-55 on the road in Game 4 of the Slovenian Women's Basketball League final, clinching the best-of-five series 3-1 and securing a remarkable 22nd national championship — their 15th consecutive title. Ilirija, buoyed by a vocal home crowd, came out firing in the early going. Ziva Ziva Misjak (177-SG-2005, agency: LBM Management) Cujnik drilled back-to-back three-pointers to open the scoring, and the hosts carried a 23-18 lead through the first quarter. The second period was evenly split at 19-19, sending Ilirija into halftime ahead 42-37. The complexion of the game shifted decisively in the third quarter. Celje clawed back to within a point at 41-42 inside three minutes, then grabbed the lead at 44-42 and never surrendered it again. Playing with an elevated intensity on both ends, the visitors entered the fourth quarter with a 60-53 cushion and continued to pull away. Ilirija never threatened again as Celje cruised to the 72-55 final.
The key to the victory was Celje's dominance inside the arc and on the glass. The visitors shot 54 percent on two-point attempts against Ilirija's 21 percent and outrebounded the hosts 44-39. Ilirija held the edge in three-point shooting (42%-20%), free throws (83%-62%), and assists (15-12), but could not overcome the lopsided interior mismatch.
Isabelle Gradwell (185-G/F-2000, college: Minnesota) was named Finals MVP after posting 14 points, six rebounds, and two assists in the clincher. Shawnta Shaw (157-G-2000, college: Jax State, agency: Interperformances) added 14 points for Celje while Marusa Senicar (187-SF-1997) contributed 13 points and nine rebounds. For Ilirija, Ziva Misjak led all scorers with 19 points and nine rebounds, and Andrea Lazarevic (175-G/F-2006) chipped in 13.
The dynasty in Celje shows no signs of slowing. Fifteen straight league titles is an extraordinary run of dominance in any sport, and with Gradwell anchoring the squad, the reigning champions appear well-positioned to extend it further next season.