Talking points: Round 14

By Sophie Taylor and Stephanie Smarrelli

The home and away season is officially done and dusted and one legend of the game is putting down the tools.

We run you through our top talking points from Round 14.

EIGHT DOWN TO FOUR

The stage is set for a monster finals series.

Fever may have started slow, but the return of Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard put them on the right footing from Round 3 onwards and they have been virtually unstoppable since.

With 12 wins on the trot, they will be hard to beat during finals.

Comparatively, the Swifts were almost unstoppable throughout the first half of the season.

They put eight consecutive wins on the board to effectively lock in finals by the time the middle of the season came around but faltered against the Fever in Round 9 and never quite recovered their winning ways.

With only two wins since then, and neither of those coming easy against bottom four sides, they will be under the pump this week.

Sitting third in some fine form are the Thunderbirds, who overcame the hurdle of losing Shamera Sterling-Humphrey with the in-form combination of Latanya Wilson and Tilly Garrett.

The Thunderbirds have not been the well-oiled machine of past seasons this year but come into this finals series as underdogs and will relish the opportunity to go back-to-back-to-back after almost missing finals by the skin of their teeth.

As for the Vixens, a challenging season goes in their favour.

With no easy wins on the board they cannot become complacent, and will hope to overturn recent history in Adelaide this weekend to keep their season alive.

HOW CAN THE BOTTOM THREE BUILD?

It has not been an easy season for any of the eight clubs, but unfortunately for the bottom three, it has been a season to forget despite some great scalps and ferocious matches along the way.

The GIANTS’ first half of the season left something to be desired, but the midseason pickup of Casey Kopua helped reinvigorate the team to finish well.

They didn’t get a win on the board until Round 4, lacking spark and confidence with their season done and dusted almost as soon as it began.

An exciting run of form from Amy Sligar and Erin O’Brien will have fans hoping for a new and improved GIANTS outfit next season.

The Mavericks came into their season with injury blows and combination changes once again.

While they found some cohesion as the season went on, they were still unable to field the squad of 10 which Tracey Neville signed at the beginning of her tenure.

It’s safe to say this was another season of “what if” for the Mavs, who would perhaps be looking at a very different outcome if Eleanor Cardwell had made it onto the court.

The Firebirds laid it all on the line on Sunday afternoon, pushing the Swifts into extra time but were unable to compete throughout the additional 10 minutes of match play.

They were unable to pick up a win after Round 2 and will have some soul-searching to do over the off-season.

Mary Cholhok showed great improvement as the season went on as Ruby Bakewell-Doran shone bright but sometimes lacked experience behind her.

It’s safe to say all three coaches will be putting their heads down and turning to the drawing board ahead of 2026, with the aim to return to finals contention next year.

WHERE TO NEXT FOR LIGHTNING?

It’s a season to forget for the Lightning.

They had so much promise early in the season, putting some impressive performances on the board and all but sewing up a spot in thetop four early based on opposition form.

But when the going got tough, the Lightning could not get going.

Injuries and inconsistency plagued the side, leaving them wanting as they came up against the eventual top four sides in the final four rounds of the season.

Missing Origin Diamonds Cara Koenen and Courtney Bruce during those rounds certainly didn’t help their case.

That said, there’s definitely things to look forward to for the Sunny Coast side.

They put all four top sides to the test this season, and had one or two more gone their way, they would have made the post-season.

The improved combination of Bruce, Tara Hinchliffe and Ash Ervin is an exciting prospect to watch for next year, while Reilley Batcheldor stood tall in the absence of Koenen and Steph Fretwell continues to lead the charge.

The Lightning midcourt is still one of the most threatening in the competition, but lacked cohesion this season and will do well with another preseason together.

HARTEN FAREWELLED IN STYLE

GIANTS stalwart Jo Harten has officially handed in her bibs.

She announced her retirement last week and went out with a bang on Saturday afternoon, landing the final blow against the Mavericks as the siren sounded.

The English goaler has been a star since the league’s inception, completing a stellar 19-year career having spent the last eight seasons at the GIANTS.

She looked like the Jo Harten of old on Saturday night, shooting freely from range and showcasing all her typical flair as the GIANTS rampaged to a 74-59 win.

Finishing with 33 points (26 goals, seven Suncorp Super Shots), eight assists and just one turnover, Harten worked seamlessly with Sophie Dwyer to punish the Mavericks and end their topsy-turvy season on a high.