Swifts stun Fever

In the most anticipated clash of Round 1, the NSW Swifts dominated West Coast Fever, signaling their championship intentions before a shocked Perth crowd.

New recruit Grace Nweke looked seamless in her Swifts debut despite an early Kadie-Ann Dehaney intercept for Fever. While the home side briefly showed flashes of their 2024 form, the Swifts quickly found rhythm, patiently clawing back with precision passing and targeting Nweke's impressive reach.

At the opposite end, Olivia Wilkinson impressed in goal shooter as Fever adapted to Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard's absence. However, the Swifts' slick attack and Sarah Klau's defensive prowess helped establish an 18-10 lead by quarter time.

The 'Grace to Grace' connection strengthened in the second quarter, with Nweke's commanding takes continuing the Swifts' momentum. Fever found better flow, temporarily slowing the visitors' advance. An awkward fall from Grace Whyte brought former Fever premiership player Verity Simmons onto court to cheers from the Green Army. Despite Super Shot opportunities, Fever couldn't reduce the deficit, trailing 33-25 at halftime.

Post-break, the Housby-Nweke partnership continued dismantling Fever's defence. Even Mwai Kumwenda's introduction at GS couldn't stem the tide.

During a timeout, coach Dan Ryan implored his side to "keep their heads," but failed Super Shot attempts couldn't stop the Swifts' onslaught. Behind Nweke's accuracy and the formidable Klau-Turner defensive duo, the Swifts extended their lead to 52-37 at three-quarter time.

Helen Housby's confident smile told the story in the final quarter as the Swifts maintained dominance. Despite glimpses of promise from Wilkinson and Dehaney, the Swifts' relentless attack and perfect shooting sealed an emphatic victory.

Despite the Swifts dominace, MVP Sarah Klau said there was always something to work on. 

Final Scoreline 49 to 67.