Alaska Sports Hall of Fame

Professional basketball player Kelsey Griffin of Eagle River was all smiles with her parents in Australia after helping the Bendigo Spirit capture the WNBL title with a 71-57 victory over Towsville in the championship game.

The 6-foot-2 starting forward was the star of the game, pumping in 20 points and ripping down 11 rebounds to earn the Grand Final MVP award.

This was the first major championship for Griffin in high school, college or the pros.

Griffin, of Chugiak High fame, helped Bendigo win the league title with a 21-3 record, the best regular-season mark in league history. This was the first WNBL championship for the Spirit.

After a short break, Griffin will return to the WNBA for training camp with the Connecticut Sun.