The National Basketball League returned to the arena last night, and, as expected, fans were eager to witness top-level basketball in the country. Traditionally, the season opener features the league’s best teams, but this year, the Pearl Queens, as newcomers, were thrown straight into the fray. What followed was a nightmare the Queens would dream about that night.

The Lady Jaguars delivered a devastating and historic performance, routing the Pearl Queens 74–29 in a commanding season opener. The victory set a high benchmark for the campaign and showcased the Jaguars’ readiness and intensity from the very first game.
By halftime, it was Brenda Kayaga against the Pearl Queens, with both tied at 15 points, yet the entire Lady Jaguars team had already put up 38 points heading into the second half.

The ladies played as though it was the WNBL 2026 Finals. The Pearl Queens could not find a free path to the rim and struggled badly with shot-making. At times, the Lady Jaguars even dared them to take open shots, which simply refused to drop. Most attempts, however, were heavily contested, and just like that, the Jaguars limited their opponents to only 29 points in the entire half.

Despite the dominant display, there was still clear room for improvement.

“I feel we need to do better on the offensive part of the game despite the good defensive show. You will realize we had very many defensive stops but didn’t utilize a couple of them, which would have given us a much bigger lead,” Coach Sudi said.

He continued, “Part of what we are going to work on offensively will be shot-making — at the free-throw line, from the three-point range, and in the paint. So definitely, there is a lot of work to do when we get back to the Den.”

Despite the big win, Coach Sudi remained cautious about the team’s mentality after such a performance.

“It isn’t easy because everyone can think we are so good because we are winning by that margin. But my message to the team was to stay focused, not get excited by the scoreboard, and to play the right way. That’s the mission this season — to play the right way.”

The ladies will play the Victoria She crocs at home in Kiira on Wednesday next week.