They came home strongly to beat North Harbour 49-41 and finish seventh at the New Zealand open championships in Christchurch on Saturday.
It wrapped up a big four days for the team, which featured players from Dunedin, Central and Canterbury to represent the centre.
Invercargill also overcame Rotorua 42-39 to finish 16th at the tournament, which featured 20 teams this year.
Counties-Manukau were tipped as the ones to watch with their classy lineup and the 2024 runners-up lived up to the hype.
They were crowned champions and lifted the New Zealand Cup for the first time after beating Wellington 45-32.
Counties featured Northern Stars defender Lili Tokaduadua and midcourter Tori Kolose, and Northern Comets shooters Jaelin Tulikaki and Crystal Maro, which added to their depth across the court.
They jumped out to a 15-6 lead at the first break and extended at every quarter.
"I’m excited for the fact that it’s been a long season and the excitement was almost a relief that the girls have done the job for themselves, so I’m really just excited for them," Counties-Manukau coach Michelle Parsons said.
"The connectedness was the difference for us.
"Everybody on attack and on defence was working to the game plan, but, also the effort. You could not question the effort and intensity — that’s what I was most proud of. It was a real collective, connected group on court."
Manawatū beat Waitakere 46-43 to finish third, and Tauranga beat Christchurch Whero 36-31 to finish fifth.
Defending champions Hamilton City were pipped 44-43 by Auckland in the 9th-10th playoff.
Auckland featured former Silver Ferns defender Phoenix Karaka, who has signed with the Northern Mystics for 2026, in her return from having her second child.
