In the space of eight days, Carley Ernst came up huge in very different ways with her shooting leading Waverley Falcons to the NBL1 South championship before her defence stood tall for the National Championship – all with her son by her side.
Since celebrating her 30th birthday, Ernst has now added two more championships to her collection on the back of playing such a key role in the WNBL championship with the Southside Flyers.
That led into her turning her focus to a season of redemption with the Waverley Falcons after last year's heartbreaking NBL1 South Grand Final loss to the Bendigo Braves.
While the Falcons had to overcome a 2-8 start, they finished the regular season on fire to enter the finals from seventh before winning all four finals in four weeks on the way to the NBL1 South championship.
That saw Ernst come up huge in the Grand Final win against Keilor Thunder where she was named MVP with 26 points, four rebounds, three blocked shots and two assists.
Then on the Sunshine Coast last weekend for the National Finals, Ernst was again outstanding as Waverley completed a 13-game winning streak to win the National Championship with the thumping 97-49 Grand Final win on Sunday against the Bendigo Braves.
Ernst's numbers might not stand out in that championship game with six points, six rebounds, four blocks and three steals – but she had as big an impact on that win as anyone with her outstanding defence on Megan McKay who had been dominant prior to that on the Sunshine Coast.
Ernst continues to show what an outstanding all-round talent she is for her size at both ends of the floor, she's won three championships in six months and done it all with nearly three-year-old son Kylan by her side.
Sharing this with son
Ernst has now won four championships since giving birth to Kylan back in September of 2021 with the 2022 and 2024 WNBL titles with the Melbourne Boomers and Flyers, and the NBL1 South and National Finals championship triumphs this year at Waverley.
What she takes great pride in is the fact that she has been such a good mother to Kylan and wife to Josh, but also keeping her identity as a professional athlete and playing basketball to the highest of standards still.
"It's so special and he was able to come here to the Sunshine Coast with us. That's now four championships that I've won with him, he's like my little good luck charm," Ernst said.
"It's such a special thing and now he's at an age where he's understanding what's going on when he comes to watch. Being a mum is the most special thing in the world and being able to keep playing basketball, and play the game I love is amazing.
"I'm not just a mother, I can still play sport at a high level and him being able to grow up watching me do that is so special.
"He has been on the road with me since he was three and-a-half months old. He is a good little traveller and I'm so glad I get to do this with him."
All-round game you bring
You can make a strong case that Ernst is among the best handful of bigs right across the country both in the WNBL and at NBL1 level, but she doesn't always get the credit her game deserves.
For someone at her size, she's always been a standout shooter and an offensive weapon, but she's a much better defender than many might realise and that was on show in the National Finals championship game.
Megan McKay had a dominant two games on the Sunshine Coast in her return for Bendigo, but on Sunday Ernst was outstanding in staying upright to use her size, stood her ground and was a big reason why her opponent shot just 4/17 for the game.
While Ernst has always known the offensive talent she has and continues to show, her defence is something she takes equally great pride in.
"Even growing up and throughout my career everyone has already said that I'm slow on defence and things like that, but I've worked really hard defensively to be able to defend with confidence and back myself that I can defend bigger and stronger players," Ernst said.
"It's honestly all credit to Eli as a coach. I absolutely love him, he lets me play my game and he lets me explore new things, and I think every season I come back to Waverley my game gets better. I develop better and then it shows coming into WNBL."
Perfect Championship Game
By the time of last Sunday's National Finals championship game on the Sunshine Coast, Waverley had won 10 straight matches to win the NBL1 South championship and then beating the Rockingham Flames and Newcastle Falcons.
That saw them earn a rematch with the Bendigo Braves from last year's NBL1 South Grand Final and the Falcons dominated with a 17-2 opening on the way to the eventual 48-point win to secure the national championship.
Ernst couldn’t be prouder of all her Waverley teammates, the coaching staff and everyone involved in the association.
"I feel like winning the conference championship and then having to come here was tough because we were all so exhausted having to battled it out over the last four weeks in the finals against such hard teams," Ernst said.
"Then our first game here, I think it was a bit scrappy and we got better as the weekend went on. But I'm so proud of our group and we know what a hard team Bendigo is, but we scouted them well, stuck to the plan and it showed."
Measure of revenge on Bendigo
Waverley had a long time to think about that NBL1 South Grand Final last year with the loss to Bendigo so while they would have been happy to beat anybody ultimately to win the national championship, Ernst does admit it had a bit of extra feeling to beat the Braves how they did.
"Hell yeah, it was good to beat them," she said.
"Of course it felt good. Losing to them last year was crap so I think to now get the chance to play them again because they are such a great team, and they've shown that year after year.
"To come out the way we did and beat them by how much we did was just a credit to the group. We've worked our arses off and it has paid off with this."
Winning two championships in eight days
For so many reasons, winning the NBL1 South and then National Championship in the space of eight days means the world to Ernst and everyone involved at Waverley Basketball Association for a first championship success of any type since 1994.
"It means so much to us all. Being a small club and doing it for Mike (Bullock) the owner, Elias (Palioyiannis) the coaching staff and everyone else, so many people put so much into us girls," Ernst said.
"They just then let us play our game and have fun, and we were just able to click in the back end of the season.
"We obviously lost the Grand Final last year so to come and win it this year in the NBL1 South, and then win the national title it's just amazing. I'm so proud of the whole group, it's like a family Waverley."
Two championships in six months with Cole
Sharing the success with all her teammates means the world to Ernst, but there's that extra special bond to Bec Cole and to have come into this season as WNBL champions, and now to be NBL1 South and National Champions is something they will cherish forever.
"It's so special and I love Bec. She's honestly one of my best friends and she builds my confidence up that girl," she said.
"Playing with her each year back-to-back, and now winning championships back-to-back is amazing. It's so fun to do it with this whole group of girls, but to be able to do it with your best friend makes it just the best."
Turning the season around
With Ernst and Cole coming into the NBL1 season after the WNBL championship at Southside, and with Mckenzie Forbes yet to arrive, the going was tough early on and Waverley ended up losing two of the first 10 games of the season.
However, things soon started to click and they won 10 of the last 11 games of the regular season to qualify for finals before winning all four finals for the NBL1 South championship, and then all three games on Sunshine Coast for the national crown.
Ernst just gives credit for the playing group for sticking to their guns and remaining confident things would come together.
"We did have a slow start and Bec wasn’t there for the first four games and then she came back in, and had to get her flow back into things," Ernst said.
"And then we introduced Mckenzie and that was good because it freed up Bec and I a bit more. Before that they could trap us and things, and she is just a flat out scorer, and will shoot it from bloody anywhere that girl.
"Bringing her in was amazing for the group and everyone playing their roles, and working their arses off."