By Caitlin Greenwood
In a top-of-the-table clash at Ken Rosewall Arena, the West Coast Fever have handed the NSW Swifts their first loss of the season with a commanding 79–68 victory.
It was a tightly contested start with Grace Nweke and Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard trading early blows in a goal-for-goal opening. Both sides showed attacking intent, happy to take risks, while Kadie-Ann Dehaney was active outside the circle, hunting the ball.
Sharni Lambden and Alice Teague-Neeld worked tirelessly.
Despite mounting penalties, the visitors managed the first break to lead 13-11 after 10 minutes, as Swifts made early defensive rotations with Teigan O’Shannassy replacing Sarah Klau, before Klau returned late in the quarter.
Swifts mistimed their play late in the term, allowing Sunday Aryang to pounce on a turnover as Fever capitalised, pushing out to a six-goal lead.
Fever were clinical with ball in hand, converting 100 per cent of their centre passes, gains, and turnovers to goal.
A super shot from Helen Housby kept Swifts in touch, but a miss from Nweke and another costly turnover handed Fever a 21–15 lead at quarter time.
It was a messy and frustrating second term for both sides, with neither team finding much rhythm in what was their lowest-scoring quarter of the season. Fowler-Nembhard remained flawless under the post, while at the other end, Kadie-Ann Dehaney continued to disrupt Nweke, forcing multiple misses and rattling the Swifts’ usually composed attack.
Penalties continued to stack up for Fever but hadn’t yet proved costly. The Swifts struggled to convert opportunities, with Housby caught stepping and unusually quiet under the post. A tactical timeout from Briony Akle came with her side trailing by four, demanding more urgency and asking her players to better support Nweke.
Jordan Cransberg was dominant in the midcourt for the Fever.Allie Smith was injected into the match, with Paige Hadley pushing into wing attack, while Fran Williams came on for Fever. Despite a Fever turnover, Klau kept Swifts in touch with a strong tip though a heavy collision with Fowler-Nembhard forced her from the court.
Housby nailed back-to-back super shots to spark the crowd, but it prompted a timeout from Dan Ryan, who instructed his team to clamp down on the Swifts shooter. Swifts continued to work overtime to find two-point opportunities, but the extra effort came at a cost.
Despite leading for most of the quarter, the home side were outdone late again as Fever surged to a 39–32 halftime lead.
The Swifts opened the third term with energy and intent, snatching a 3–0 break to close the gap and set the tone for a much tidier quarter. But it didn’t take long for Fever to settle, clawing it back to 9–6 behind composed attacking play and the introduction of Olivia Wilkinson into the match.
Despite stacking up rebounds and enjoying periods of momentum, the Swifts – much like in the second quarter – let Fever work their way back in. Housby’s super shots kept the scoreboard moving for the home side, but Fever’s Dehaney continued to put in a tireless shift in defence, applying relentless pressure.
It was Fever who had the final say in the quarter, converting the last goal to maintain a 53–49 lead heading into the final term.
The home side struggled to find clarity in attack, and the pressure only mounted when Housby went to the bench, replaced by Whyte at goal attack. Fever’s defensive unit ramped up the intensity, and what had been a four-goal margin quickly blew out to eight by the midway mark of the quarter.
Jordan Cransberg was outstanding in the midcourt for the visitors, finishing with 27 assists, six deflections. two turnovers and an intercept in a tireless performance. Housby returned for the Power Five, but Fever’s defensive wall, led by a disruptive Dehaney, continued to cause chaos. The physical contest unsettled Nweke, who struggled to assert herself as Fever capitalised on a key rebound in the final minutes.
With two minutes to play and a nine-goal buffer, the result was sealed. Fever closed it out with control and composure to hand the Swifts their first loss of the season, securing a statement 79–68 victory on the road.
Reflecting on the win, Dan Ryan praised his team’s consistency and resilience.
“Really pleased with that win. A really consistent 60-minute game from the team and every position doing its job out there.
"Swifts obviously have been the benchmark team all season and we knew that it was going to be a really tough one and we had to play some good netball to get the win."
He highlighted Kadie-Ann Dehaney’s impact on the result.
“Kadie-Ann's persistence for us tonight was really important for us as a team and she just chipped away and chipped away and had great support there through Sunday and Fran and Jess out the front of her.”
Swifts coach Briony Akle acknowledged the challenge the Fever presented, while also reflecting on her side’s performance.
“We knew it was going to be a tough one and I thought parts were really good. I thought we did a really good job passing the ball down the line, which we hadn't been doing. It was a battle of two good teams going at it and the Fever came out on top.”
On Nweke’s struggles under pressure.
“I don't think she was put off. I think it was Grace put under pressure, and we didn't do our job to help her.”
