By Alexander Dabb
A combined 17 super shots and a litany of lead changes made for an exhilarating contest at Nissan Arena on Saturday night between the hometown Queensland Firebirds and the GIANTS.
But despite racing out to a game-high lead in the third term, the GIANTS would be denied once again this season, as the Firebirds claimed a stirring 71 to 64 victory, coming from behind at three quarter time to keep a very faint finals heartbeat alive.
Sporting a special dress to celebrate the Pride Match they pioneered in 2021, and have been part of ever since, it was the Firebirds that made the hot start, with both Kelly Jackson and Ruby Bakewell-Doran moving brilliantly in defence, all over the GIANTS shooters to each record an early deflection and help the home side take an early lead.
But a Maddy Gordon turnover was immediately capitalised upon by the visitors, getting the GIANTS back on level terms, before they pulled ahead after another errant pass from the Firebirds saw them cough up possession.
Sophie Dwyer and Matisse Letherbarrow looked in formidable touch inside the circle, ensuring the solid work from midcourters Hope White and Amy Sligar was taken advantage of, as they enjoyed a two-goal buffer.
The ebb-and-flow nature of the opening term continued, though, as the Firebirds hit back with the next three, with Lara Dunkley gaining ascendency at wing attack and Te Paea Selby-Rickit looking in fine touch at goal attack to retake the lead heading into the Power Five.
Dwyer, as she has done all season, though, sunk a Suncorp Super Shot at the first opportunity, as once again the two sides found themselves level at 12-12.
She would add another to reel the Firebirds back in at 14-14, before Letherbarrow too joined the party from range, and Dwyer nailed a third from three attempts, to race out to a four-goal advantage.
Kelly Jackson was brilliant in defence for the Firebirds.
Not to be outdone, Selby-Rickit made a super shot of her own at the other end to cap a remarkable opening term, which saw the GIANTS take an 18-16 lead into the huddle.
While the GIANTS raced out to a four-goal advantage once again early in the second off the back of some brilliant pressure, the Firebirds steadily worked their way back into the contest, as Mary Cholhok proved formidable in the circle, while Jackson continued to cause the GIANTS issues in defence.
Nerida Stewart took a tactical timeout in the face of the Firebirds’ momentum, but it mattered little, as the Firebirds claimed the lead back on the very first possession back, while Jackson continued to win the ball back for her side with a spectacular block.
The threat of the GIANTS shooters in the power five remained huge, though, and the visitors defied the momentum to create a gap at 30-28 as Letherbarrow converted from range again, before doubling up to make it a four-goal margin with her third two-pointer off the ensuing centre pass.
Another turnover gave the GIANTS a five-goal advantage with three minutes remaining in the half, forcing Kiri Wills into a timeout, while also injecting Elsa Sif Sandholt into the game to combat the super shots from the GIANTS.
The two sides traded two-pointers as they returned to court, one each to Letherbarrow and Selby-Rickit, as the intensity and speed of the game continued to climb with a minute remaining.
Letherbarrow sunk super shots five and six prior to the half time break, taking the GIANTS’ tally to nine across the opening two terms, while also logging her side’s best first half of the season to take a 39-33 advantage into the rooms.
The margin largely hovered around the same six-goal margin for the majority of the third term, although the GIANTS did reach a game-high seven-goal lead, until once again the super shots began to fly in the final five minutes of the quarter.
Te Paea Selby-Rickit was on song from range.
Selby-Rickit nailed the first from range for the quarter, drawing the deficit back to four points, before a missed two-pointer for the GIANTS left the door open, and a pair of singles to Sif Sandholt saw the Firebirds back to just two points in arrears.
While the home side closed again to get within one, Dwyer pushed the margin back out to three again for the GIANTS with her fourth super shot from as many attempts, before Selby-Rickit matched her to once more bring the deficit back to one.
Jackson forced another turnover in defence, too, as the crowd became more and more vocal, with Sif Sandholt converting to level the scores at 51 apiece, and while they won the term by five, it was the GIANTS that headed into the final break ahead by a solitary goal as Letherbarrow tipped in a single on the three-quarter time whistle.
It would be Jackson again that won the ball back early in the fourth that enabled the Firebirds to take the lead for the first time since the second quarter, although Erin O’Brien would do the same for the GIANTS as the visitors snatched the lead back.
The lead changes continued, though, as the Firebirds soon found themselves two goals ahead with eight minutes remaining, and it was the same margin they led by as Kiri Wills called a tactical timeout with 6:51 left on the clock, her side ahead 61-59.
The Firebirds would be out to their highest lead of the game at 63-59 as the power five siren sounded, and immediately Dwyer cut the deficit back to two with her fifth super shot from as many attempts.
Sif Sandholt made her first at the other end, though, reinstating the four-goal lead, and a turnover off the GIANTS centre pass was converted, giving the home side a five-goal advantage, then six, as the Firebirds looked to be home with two minutes remaining.
But Dwyer kept the GIANTS in it with an immediate super shot, pulling her side back to 64-68 behind to give the Firebirds some nervous moments.
Casey Adamson was the highest-rated GIANT despite limited time on court.
It mattered little, though, as the Firebirds fired home the final three goals of the contest to clinch a stirring come-from-behind win, having trailed by as much as seven goals themselves during the third term.
Jackson was inspirational in defence, leading all comers with a massive 95.5 net points having racked up three intercepts and seven deflections, while Selby-Rickit was huge also, going 18 from 22 shooting, four of which were super shots, as well as providing 20 goal assists in an 82.5 net point showing.
Casey Adamson led the way for the GIANTS with 63 net points despite only spending 36 minutes on the court, while both Dwyer and Letherbarrow were formidable from range, each finishing with six super shots to their name.
The Firebirds keep their very slim finals chances alive with the win, and will look to make it consecutive wins when they host the Fever next Sunday, while the GIANTS continue to hunt for a maiden win in 2026 when they take on the Thunderbirds at home on Saturday.
