Adelaide Lightning went down fighting in a 65-71 loss to the Bendigo Spirit after going tit-for-tat through 16 lead changes in the first three quarters.
But fatigue ultimately set in, and Bendigo went on a 19-0 run late in the third quarter and into the fourth to seal victory at the Red Energy Arena on Sunday.
The Lightning's shooting proved costly as they slotted just 35 per cent of field goals.
"After 24 hours getting to know the girls, seeing how they respond in pressure moments, the vibe is good," Parham-Ammar said.
"We've got a lot of room for improvement, which is a beautiful thing. We've got some young players, and my message is just have fun."
Bendigo's Izzy Borlase was yetagain influential, dominating the paint against her old side as she complemented 27 points with three steals.
Young gun Olivia Pollerd (14 points, six rebounds) and veteran Kelsey Griffin (13 points, eight rebounds)also worked the floor, improving the side's record to 7-2 after losing Opals star Marianna Tolo due to pregnancy.
The Lightning's Sania Feagin secured her eighth double-digit performance, addinganother 26 points to her tally, while Steph Talbot fell one point short of adouble-double (9 points, 11 rebounds).
