The Wellington Phoenix's inspiring season has left a lasting impact on the football community in New Zealand. The team's proud defender, Emma Wall, reflects on their bittersweet ending, saying, 'We wanted to create a moment that people in New Zealand would stop and go 'wow''. We think we did do that. I think it probably inspired lots of young girls as well, which was another goal of ours.' The team's outstanding season saw them finish second on the table with 10 wins, four draws, and six losses, a stark improvement compared to their previous season. Former Canadian coach Bev Priestman took over and stamped her mark, but Wall felt it was a combination of new coaching, investment, and belief that helped them reach the top. 'From the start of the season, we were taken very seriously from our club and from those around us as well. We had better investment. Obviously Bev, the new coach, was an insanely qualified and high-level coach. She knew what to do in the right moments. She had a few tactics in place that were very different to anything else... but with the right support from the club, and the right investment, we were able to latch on to those tactics and really play the way she wanted us to play.' Wall, 25, described Priestman as a 'real character', who cared about the person first, and the player second, and kept on top of her players' lives away from the pitch. 'I think by establishing that and establishing that kind of culture, she's really been able to connect with the players and connect us to each other as well. It's really created that really good team culture.' Personally, it was a bumpy season for Wall, who suffered a calf tear in February and initially was expected to be ruled out for the season. It was a gutting blow for the new Football Fern, who also had to miss the Fifa World Cup qualifiers and two national camps. But she backed the Phoenix to make the playoffs and used it as a driving force in her rehab to return earlier than expected. 'I do consider myself lucky to be able to come back for those final series and actually play in them as well. Because returning from injury is hard enough when you're just playing normal games, but in a final, when every minute counts, it