The Swifts have ignited their home crowd and kept their finals hopes alive with a six-goal win against the Firebirds.
After an even start that saw the sides trade goals and remain locked together midway through the term, the NSW Swifts seized control of the contest.
Their relentless pressure and clinical ball movement sparked a decisive run, opening up an 18-11 lead and forcing the Firebirds into an early tactical timeout. Kiri Wills responded by introducing Emily Moore at goal shooter, but the Swifts continued to dictate play.
A clean intercept from Kelly Jackson briefly gave the Firebirds a chance to respond, only for the hosts to win the ball straight back.
With a superb 93 per cent centre-pass conversion rate underpinning their dominance, the Swifts powered to a 20-11 lead at quarter-time.
The Swifts continued to control proceedings in the second quarter, doing an excellent job of slowing the Firebirds' attacking momentum.
The return of Cholhok sparked a rapid-fire scoring burst for the visitors, helping trim the margin and briefly put Queensland back within reach. However, Grace Whyte responded with a strong run of her own to steady the Swifts and ensure the quarter remained on their terms.
Defensively, Jackson struggled to contain Grace Nweke under the post, while Sarah Klau and Cholhok continued their physical battle in the goal circle. The Firebirds called another timeout in an attempt to halt the Swifts' momentum, while Paige Hadley was injected into the game for the home side.
Tayla Fraser was outstanding through the midcourt, producing five assists, two gains and two intercepts, and trailing only Nweke for net points.
The Swifts carried their dominance into the main break, extending their advantage to 14 goals at halftime.
Queensland emerged from the main break determined to shake up the contest, with Lara Dunkley returning at wing attack as the Firebirds reshuffled their midcourt in search of a spark. The visitors matched the Swifts through the opening five minutes, but with the margin still significant, they needed a sustained run to make meaningful inroads.
The deficit sat at 10 goals when the Power Five period began, before the Firebirds surged.
Concerned by rising penalties across the court, particularly with Sarah Klau's tally climbing to 21, Briony Akle called a timeout and urged her side to simplify their attack by feeding Nweke.
Teigan O'Shannassy was introduced for Maddy Turner, but the momentum remained with the visitors.
Te Paea Selby-Rickett found her range at the perfect time, draining two Suncorp Super Shots as the Firebirds piled on 23 goals for the quarter. The visitors cut the margin to just five goals by three-quarter time, 52-47, setting up a tense final term - the Swifts wary of a repeat of their last meeting with the Firebirds, having surrendered a halftime lead in that encounter.
The Firebirds threatened to turn the contest on its head in the final quarter, returning to the court with the match far tighter than it had been earlier. Queensland's attack, however, struggled to maintain the momentum that fuelled their third-quarter surge.
Macy Gardner's return provided a spark, producing a crucial deflection that led to a Cholhok goal and helped reduce the margin to four midway through the term. The Swifts, meanwhile, appeared to be feeling the effects of the contest, with Fraser unable to maintain her earlier influence and Nweke beginning to look less assured under the post.
Locked at 10 goals apiece heading into the final Power Five, the game remained in the balance before a costly held ball call against Ruby Bakewell-Doran proved pivotal.
The Swifts capitalised immediately, regaining control and pushing the margin back out to nine goals.
From there, the home side steadied to secure a 68-62 victory and keep its finals hopes alive.
Swifts coach Briony Akle praised her side’s start and the importance of banking the result, despite not fully closing the game out after a strong early lead.
“It's great to get that win, we needed that win. We started beautifully; I would've loved to win by 20 but that's ok,” Akle said.
“Getting the win was really important. I feel like we've been so close on so many games and to get that win is really special for our group moving forward.”
Akle also highlighted improvements in defence but pointed to continued issues with ball security and conversion.
“The (defence) was much better than in previous weeks. I still think we've got a lot to work on with our conversion of it. Obviously, we were getting a little bit of ball back but often we were getting ball back off the centre pass and just throwing it away,” she said.
“If you throw the ball away, it's your job to get it back.”
Firebirds coach Kiri Wills admitted her side was below their best but encouraged signs of progress, while also reflecting on the club’s broader direction.
“Today wasn't probably as great as we wanted it to be, but it was still an improvement,” Wills said.
“So, our goal next week against the Lightning is to not drop off again, to use this game to build.”
Wills also acknowledged the balance between immediate performance and long-term planning as the season progresses.
“We are definitely thinking about next year right now… it's a little bit of both at the moment, trying to nail the here and now, but also trying to figure out what's best for the club moving forward. At the end of the day, we want to build and we want to finish on a high.”
