Backed by a record RAC Arena crowd and brimming with momentum, the West Coast Fever have stormed into the Grand Final with a ruthless 32-goal victory over the NSW Swifts.
West Coast Fever made an assertive start to their clash with the NSW Swifts, dominating both ends of the court in a powerful opening term.
The home side capitalised on a lopsided early penalty count, 6–0 in the opening minutes and 13–3 by the nine-minute mark, to jump out to a 7–2 lead.
Fever’s defensive pressure overwhelmed the Swifts, while Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard remained composed and clinical under the post.
The visitors' woes deepened when Verity Simmons left the court after an awkward landing, and Grace Nweke was whistled for three offensive contacts in a messy first quarter for the Swifts as the Fever led 20-11 at the break.
The home side picked up right where they left off in the second quarter, opening with a 3–1 run and continuing to dominate both ends of the court. Their defensive duo of Kadie-Ann Dehaney and Sunday Aryang remained a nightmare for the Swifts, forcing easy errors and controlling the space.
Swifts called a tactical timeout, with assistant coach Dylan Nexhip urging his side to focus on the basics and take it play by play. Sophie Fawns was injected into the match and made an immediate impact on the scoreboard, while Fever rotated Fran Williams into defence without missing a beat.
Fever’s transition play was seamless, slicing through the Swifts with no resistance.
Fresh off her maiden Diamonds squad selection, Alice Teague-Neeld had a standout performance.Despite the injection of fresh legs, the visitors couldn’t buy a break, their Super Shots refused to drop, and the absence of Paige Hadley loomed large as they struggled to find direction and leadership on court.
Clinical and composed, the home side closed out a near-flawless first half to take a commanding 46-20 lead into the main break.
The Swifts showed more resistance to open the third quarter, managing an early gain, but any momentum was quickly halted by a sharp intercept from the ever-reliable Alice Teague-Neeld.
Fever capitalised, stretching out to a three-goal run as the Swifts’ errors continued to mount.
Contributions came from across the court for the home side, with every player executing their role to near perfection. Teague-Neeld continued to shine, finishing the game with 26 assists, 35 feeds, a gain, deflection and an intercept in a standout performance.
While the Swifts were able to regain possession at times, they struggled to protect it, gifting Fever opportunities to extend the margin.
The visitors showed more resistance in the final term, managing to go goal-for-goal with the Fever for much of the quarter. But with the damage already done in the first half, the visitors were left playing for pride as the scoreboard gap proved too steep to overcome.
With the Venga Bus ringing out around RAC Arena and the crowd in full voice, Fever closed out a commanding 77-45 win, securing their spot in the Grand Final in emphatic style.
