Adelaide dominated from the outset, claiming victory 52-42 in front of 9,300 spectators at a sold-out Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
The T-Bird's goal shooter Carla Borrego didn't miss a beat, netting 13 of 14 attempts in a powerful opening which set the birds on the path to victory.
Thunderbirds coach Jane Woodlands-Thompson was proud of her girls, congratulating both those on and off the court.
"It's still sinking in, but full credit - we made a good bullet and the girls fired it so it was great," she said.
"It was just a total team effort and South Australia should just be so proud of them."
Both teams looked shaky to begin with, trading several turnovers from both passing and shooting errors.
T-Birds defender Geva Mentor staked an early claim on player of the match when she perfectly timed a rejection on Waikato shooter Irene Van Dyk's second shot.
Adelaide shook off the nerves and by quarter time were leading 15-8.
Magic never got closer than five goals, making Adelaide the third successive Australian team to win the ANZ Championship.
The T-Bird's wing attack, Emily Beaton, was incredibly excited about the win, attributing it to Adelaide's strong final history with the T-Birds making the playoffs every season since the club's inception.
"We're experienced in finals now and that mental toughness is really showing through," she said.
"We know that if we make some turnovers we're just going to get it back."
That mental toughness Emily Beaton spoke of comes from experiencing setbacks and not allowing them to discourage you, but instead learning and growing from them.
A Well-Being Australia theologian points out that Christians are faced with setbacks in many shapes and forms, and that like the Thunderbirds we should see them as a form of mental conditioning, a strengthening and reinforcing of our faith.
James tells us to "consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4