New South Wales Swifts

The Vixens won the first quarter 16-15 before a 15-15 tie in the second meant they entered halftime with a 31-30 lead.

The Melbourne-based outfit then produced some excellent Netball in the third quarter, winning 22-16, to enter the fourth and final stanza with a daunting 53-46 lead.

The Swifts had other plans, however, winning the final quarter 21-14 to complete a narrow 67-66 win.

British goal attack Helen Housby provided good support for Aiken-George with 12 goals from as many attempts.

Malawi’s Mwai Kumwenda tried her best for the Vixens with 47 goals from 50 attempts.

The Fever got out to a 19-15 lead at the end of the first quarter at the Qudos Bank Arena in New South Wales on Saturday.

An 18-16 second quarter win for the Swifts meant the deficit between the teams at half-time was just two, with the defending champions ahead 35-33.

After the third quarter, the Fever enjoyed a 51-46 lead and looked set to get a chance to defend their title.

The Swifts had other ideas, however, and produced a stunning fourth quarter comeback, outscoring the Fever 19-13 to secure the one-point win and a trip to the title decider.

Aiken-George led the way with 25 goals from 26 attempts for the Swifts while Fowler scored 55 goals from 56 attempts for the Fever.

Their opponents in the Grand Final will be the Adelaide Thunderbirds, home of Sunshine Girls Shamera Sterling and Latanya Wilson.

The Swifts will be looking for revenge after the Thunderbirds beat them 64-62 in the preliminary finals.

Players such as Jamaica’s Jhaniele Fowler, Romelda Aiken-George, Shamera Sterling, and Trinidad and Tobago’s Samantha Wallace, are among those who will be watching with bated breaths, after Australia Netball Players’ Association rejected the latest offer from Netball Australia and the eight Super Netball League clubs.

Officials from Netball Australia and the clubs expressed disappointment at the ANPA’s dismissal of the offer that they described as a “ground-breaking” collective player agreement.

However, the ANPA in its response said, “the players believe they’ve bent over backwards” in a bid to reach an agreement, and they are now appealing for mediation “to achieve meaningful and fair progress.”

Netball Australia on Monday stated that an offer was made to improve its investment by AUS $1.275 million – a 20 per cent increase across a three-year deal.

Netball Australia explained that offer was on top of “the earning potential of a profit-share partnership model”, and this was without any forecast material increase in the sport’s revenue in the short term, given the current broadcast deal runs until 2026.

Netball Australia added that it offered a base wage increase of nine per cent over three years and a maximum salary cap increase of three per cent over the same term, in addition to increased potential commercial earnings, extra playing and earning opportunities with the introduction of rookies, and a share in the profits generated by the Super Netball League for the first time.

“Throughout negotiations, Netball Australia and the clubs have made significant concessions in good faith to finalise the deal and build a strong partnership model with the ANPA and Super Netball players. Netball Australia and the ANPA met again [this past] Saturday, and we continue to offer to meet to finalise a deal,” a statement from Netball Australia said.

“Netball Australia and the clubs are not opposed to mediation, but we are concerned beginning the process at this late stage would extend this already lengthy process and continue to delay the stability and certainty all parties seek.

“Netball Australia and the eight clubs have simply reached their capacity to make further concessions to the ANPA and players without jeopardising the health of the league and its teams, their respective stakeholders, and the entire netball eco-system in Australia,” the statement continued.

Netball Australia pointed out that any further increase to player wages beyond the current offer would be irresponsible, because they would negatively impact funding for community and grassroots netball.

It reiterated that the three-year deal would provide much-needed stability for the players, clubs and the league and would ensure all parties could focus on working together collectively to grow the sport.

“We appeal to the ANPA to re-consider our revised three-year offer and present it to all Super Netball players, so they can have their say,” the statement ended.

But the players’ association argued that Netball Australia had rejected a real partnership with the players.

“We cannot in good conscience lock players into an unfair three-year deal, which does not reflect their value and contribution,” the players’ association statement asserted.

“Adding to the players’ concern is a lack of clarity around the finances underpinning the game, and uncertainty around the strategic direction for netball.”

The schedule for the 2024 Super Netball League season is yet to be released because of the collective player agreement dispute.

Sterling and compatriot Latanya Wilson are members of The Adelaide Thunderbirds, while Wallace and Aiken-George represents New South Wales Swifts. Fowler is a member of West Coast Fever.

Aiken’s 45 goals helped the Queensland Firebirds defeated league leaders Melbourne Vixens 64-58 in a hard-fought game at the Cairns Pop Up Arena on Sunday. Her teammate Tippa Dwan also scored 13 goals in the victory.

Aiken’s 45 goals came from just 51 attempts and saw the Firebirds lead 18-12 at the end of the first quarter. However, it was the defensive efforts of Tara Hinchliffe and Kim Jenner that led to the win.

The Vixens who were losing only their second game of the season rallied to win the second quarter 19-17 cutting the Firebirds lead at half time. The teams scored 13 goals each in the third but the Firebirds outscored Vixens 16-14 in the final stanza to hold on for their fifth win of the season.

At the same venue on Saturday, Samantha Wallace scored 25 goals and her teammate Helen Housby 22 as the New South Wales Swifts pulled off their eighth victory of the season, defeating Adelaide Thunderbirds 57-54 in a nail-biter.

The Swifts got off to a fast start and led 19-12 at the end of the first quarter. However, the Thunderbird rallied to take the second 16-12 and headed into the break trailing by just two goals.

The Thunderbird carried that momentum into the third quarter outscoring the Swifts 15-12 while taking a one-point lead into the final quarter.

However, the Swifts managed to battle back to outscore the Thunderbirds 15-11 and eke out a close victory.

Jhaniele Fowler was the high-scorer on the weekend with 62 goals as the West Coast Fever battled to a 71-66 victory over the Giants.

All 62 goals were crucial for the Fever who had to battle back from a three-goal deficit at half-time having lost the first quarter 15-17 and edged out 18-17 in the second as Jo Harten and Kiera Austin’s 24 goals apiece threatened to run away with the game.

However, the Fever took the lead in the third quarter, which they won 21-15 and then outscored their rivals 18-16 to close out the close encounter.

Despite the win, the Fever remains third in the standings with 34 points.

Wallace-Joseph, a three-time club MVP and crucial component of the Swifts' attack, was replaced by Whyte, who managed only two goals from two attempts during the match. The decision to sideline Wallace-Joseph raised eyebrows, especially considering her return to competition this season after a two-year hiatus due to knee surgery.

Head coach Briony Akle addressed the controversial move, clarifying that Wallace-Joseph's exclusion was not due to injury. "She's not actually injured," Akle told Fox Netball. "We've just made a call on our 11th player this week, so we've brought Grace in halfway through the season and will see what we can do there."

Akle's strategy appeared to hinge on recent team dynamics and injuries. Whyte had been elevated to the game-day squad to fill in for injured midcourter Maddy Proud. In round eight, defender Jemma Donoghue took that spot, and Whyte retained her place as a shooter, leaving Wallace-Joseph out of the lineup.

Helen Housby, a key player for the Swifts, explained that the decision was a "club decision" and "out of players' hands." Initial speculation suggested Wallace-Joseph might be managing a niggle due to her recent return from injury, but Akle's comments dispelled these concerns.

Wallace-Joseph’s reduced game time this season and her apparent stiffness in the Swifts' round seven loss contributed to the decision. However, the move to bench such an experienced player raised questions about the tactical rationale, particularly when Whyte spent half of her 30 minutes on court playing wing attack rather than in the shooting end.

Akle acknowledged the team's struggles, citing the anger and frustration following their lowest-ever Super Netball total of 33 goals in round seven. The decision to omit Wallace-Joseph may have been influenced by these circumstances, aiming to shake up the team dynamics under pressure.

As the debate continues, fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see how Coach Akle and the Swifts navigate the challenges ahead, with Wallace-Joseph's role in the team remaining a focal point of discussion.

It was an epic clash at the USC Stadium between Caribbean shooters, Fowler, who scored 55 goals and Samantha Wallace, who sunk 34 from 35 attempts, as the Fever won 67-62 in what was described as one of the matches of the season.

NSW Swifts got off to a fast start winning the first quarter 17-15. They remained in in control of the match in the second quarter as super shots from Wallace and teammate Helen Housby (10 from 14) saw the Swifts outscore the Fever 19-14 to lead 36-29 at the interval.

The Fever made four changes at the half which seemed to spur the team to life. Through Fowler’s impeccable shooting they rallied to win the quarter 19-12 to tie the score at the end of the third.

Fowler continued her onslaught as the Fever snatched the lead and went on to win the intense counter by five.

Fever shot 94 per cent from the field in victory while the Swifts shooting fell to 88 per cent in the heartbreaking loss.

In the match played at the Ken Rosewall Arena, the defending champions found themselves trailing early to an aggressive Swifts unit lead by Aiken-George’s 33 goals from 37 attempts. Helen Housby supported with 17 goals from 18.

Swifts led 18-15 at the end of the first quarter.

Fowler, meanwhile, who has been near perfect this season, led the comeback as the Fever outscored their opponents 20-17 in the second quarter as the teams went into the half-time break tied at 35-35.

Goal attack Sasha Glasgow scored seven from eight as the champions dominated the third quarter 24-16 before closing out the game 19-16 to take their fourth win from four games this season.

Fowler, the MVP for the last four seasons, has so far scored 220 goals this season, 39 more from fellow Jamaican Shimona Nelson who has scored 181 goals for the Colllingwood Magpies that beat Queensland Firebirds 69-61 on Saturday.

Nelson scored 61 from 66 attempts in the victory over the winless Firebirds.

Meanwhile, despite a league leading 417.5 Nissan Net Points from Shamera Sterling, the Adelaide Thunderbirds suffered their first loss of the season, going down 54-59 to GIANTS.

The end of the first quarter saw the Fever enjoy a 17-12 lead before the Vixens won the second by one to reduce the halftime deficit to four, with the Fever leading 32-28.

The third quarter saw the Vixens chip into the lead a little more to set up a tense fourth quarter with the score now being 48-46 in favour of the Fever.

The teams fought to the end in the final stanza, with the Fever eventually coming out 62-61 winners.

Fowler, who has won the league’s player of the year award for the past five seasons, shot a perfect 55/55 to lead the Fever to a win to kick off the defence of their 2022 title.

Elsewhere, Shimona Nelson scored 53 goals from as many attempts to lead the Collingwood Magpies to a 71-63 win over the New South Wales Swifts, for whom Romelda Aiken-George scored 30 goals from 35 attempts.

The Fever’s shooters missed just once with Sasha Glasgow scoring five goals from her six attempts and hit crucial super shots in the thrilling encounter that ended with the defending champions going 2-0 in their first two games of the season. They won both games by one goal.

Reigning MVP Fowler scored 59 goals from as many attempts and has now scored 167 straight goals without a miss in the league. Her last miss came during the first quarter of last season’s final.

The GIANTS welcomed back Maddie Hay and Jo Harten into their line-up and they proved to be exactly what their team needed. Still, the Fever led 21-20 at the end of the first quarter.

On the back of Fowler’s accurate shooting, the Fever opened up a lead, which extended to as wide as 10 goals but were eventually reeled in by the GIANTS, who were eventually outscored 19-17 in the second quarter to lead by three at the half.

Harten scored 22 goals from 23 attempts and Sophie Dwyer 21 from 24 as GIANTS looked to rally but were forced to depend heavily on super shots to keep them close to the champions who outscored them 23-15 in the third quarter.

However, the GIANTS did rally with Harten and Dwyer shooting the lights out to outscore The Fever 21-11 in the final quarter but the lead proved too much to overcome.

Over at the Nissan Arena, Kadie-Ann Dehaney’s Sunshine Coast Lightning defeated Queensland Firebirds 65-55. Meanwhile, a power outage at the SA Netball Stadium resulted in a 25-25 tie between the Adelaide Thunderbirds and the New South Wales Swifts.

Romelda Aiken-George had scored 15 goals from 19 attempts when the game was called off.

Trinidad and Tobago's Samantha Wallace led the charge for the Swifts scoring 17 goals for the losers.

From the first whistle, it was evident that this match would be nothing short of intense. The Swifts and the Fever traded goals relentlessly, each determined to gain an early advantage. But it was the towering presence of Jamaica's own Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard that truly shone in the opening quarter.

As the game progressed into the second quarter, the Fever began to assert their dominance. Led by their captain, Jess Anstiss, and the dynamic duo of Fowler-Nembhard and newcomer Olivia Wilkinson, the Fever surged ahead, much to the delight of their supporters. Despite the Swifts' best efforts to narrow the gap, the Fever maintained their momentum, heading into halftime with a commanding lead of 27-21.

However, the Swifts were not about to go down without a fight. With determination etched on their faces, they launched a fierce comeback in the third quarter, closing the deficit with a flurry of super shots. But the Fever defense, anchored by the likes of Fran Williams and Kadie-Ann Dehaney, stood firm, refusing to buckle under pressure. Meanwhile, Shanice Beckford provided a taste of her lightning-fast reflexes, expertly maneuvering the ball to her teammates and contributing two crucial goals from two attempts.

As the final quarter unfolded, the tension reached its peak. With the score-line neck and neck, every possession became crucial. But it was the Fever who held their nerve when it mattered most. With Alice Teague-Neale orchestrating the midfield and Sunday Aryang showcasing her unwavering determination, the Fever managed to fend off the Swifts' relentless onslaught. And when the final buzzer sounded, it was the Fever who emerged victorious, securing a hard-fought win.

 Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard led the charge for the Fever, showcasing her shooting prowess with an impressive tally of 59 goals from 60 attempts. In contrast, Samantha Wallace-Joseph of the Swifts managed 34 goals from 35 attempts.

 The match was evenly poised at halftime, with the Fever holding a narrow 35-33 lead. However, they seized control in the second half, outscoring the Swifts 40-26 to secure a decisive victory.

 Both teams displayed high-intensity play from the outset, with the ball swiftly transitioning between players and into the hands of their sharpshooters, Fowler-Nembhard and Wallace-Joseph. The Fever capitalized on their offensive strategies, utilizing precise passing to set up scoring opportunities for Fowler-Nembhard against a formidable Swifts defence.

 Although the Swifts showed promise in the second quarter, tightening their defensive pressure and causing turnovers, the Fever regained momentum after halftime. Fowler-Nembhard continued to dominate in the shooting circle, supported by a cohesive midfield effort led by Kelsey Browne.

 Defensively, Sunday Aryang played a pivotal role for the Fever, effectively neutralizing key Swifts players and disrupting their attacking flow. The Fever's relentless defensive pressure and cohesive teamwork ultimately propelled them to a convincing victory.

 With this win, the West Coast Fever maintain their unbeaten run in the Suncorp Super Netball League, showcasing their championship potential early in the season. The team's performance underscores their depth and skill across all facets of the game, setting a strong foundation for future success in the competition.

 The winner will the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the Grand Final set for July 8.

The Thunderbirds defeated the Swifts 64-62 on Saturday night.

In what was a tough match, Fowler playing before her home crowd at the RAC Arena, missed just one shot as Fever led each quarter 15-14, 17-16, 16-14, before opening up a seven-point lead after taking the final quarter 16-13.

Mwai Kumwenda only missed one of her 40 attempts to lead the scoring for the Vixens.

Over at the Qudos Bank Arena, Romelda Aiken George’s 29 goals were not enough to get the New South Wales Swifts against the Thunderbirds, who pulled off a dramatic 64-62 victory to book a place in the Grand Finals.

Helen Housby added 15 goals for the Swifts but Eleanor Cardwell’s 18 goals, 13 from Lucy Austin and 11 from Tippa Dwan were just enough to seal the Thunderbirds’ place in the final.

Having lost to New South Wales Swifts by a single goal last week, and three of their last four to slip to third in the league table, the Fever responded by crushing the Firebirds 97-63 at the RAC Arena. The 97 goals scored was the highest number of goals scored in a single match in the league.

Led by Jhaniele Fowler’s 52 goals from 56 attempts and Sasha Glasgow’s perfect 15 of 15, the Fever led by 10 (27-17) at the end of the first quarter and extended the lead to 20 at half time after outscoring Queensland 23-13 in the second.

The Firebirds managed to rally in the third quarter in which they were outscored 21-18 but the Fever put their foot back down on their necks in the final quarter 26-15 to win by a massive 34 goals.

Donnell Wallam led the scoring for the Firebirds with 37 goals from 40 attempts.

Fowler scored her 500^th goal of the season and ended the match with a tally of 552, 75 more than Wallam.

The Fever’s seventh win of the season saw them maintain third place in the league standings despite Adelaide Thunderbirds falling to a massive 21-point loss to Melbourne Vixens on Saturday.

The league leaders suffered only their second loss of the season 60-39 due mainly to outstanding defensive play by the Vixen’s mid-court.

Shamera Sterling had a strong start for the Thunderbirds, with a rebound, two intercepts, and a deflection in a formidable first term. Her performance spurred the Thunderbirds to a three-point lead (14-11) over the Vixens as the first quarter came to a close.

However, the Vixens defense were relentless. Emily Mannix had an impressive display with five intercepts, four deflections as the Vixens stamped their authority on the encounter.

Mwai Kumwenda (21/22) and Kiera Austin (23/30) led the scoring for the Vixens while Eleanor Cardwell scored 21 of 24 and Georgie Horjus scored eight goals for the Thunderbirds.

In another lop-sided match on Saturday, Romelda Aiken-George scored 26 from 32 attempts, Helen Housby 14 from 17 and Sophie Fawns 17 from 22 as the New South Wales Swifts swamped Collingwood Magpies 85-56 at the Ken Rosewall Arena despite Shimona Nelson’s 35 goals from just 37 attempts.

It was the Swifts’ largest margin of victory this season.

The weekend results mean that Romelda Aiken George’s Swifts will take on Shamera Sterling’s Thunderbirds at Qudos Bank Arena on Saturday, June 24, the in the first of two semi-final clashes. The winner will face victor of the West Coast Fever/Melbourne Vixens clash at the RAC Arena on Sunday, June 25.

On Saturday, league leaders New South Wales Swifts fell victim to the Adelaide Thunderbirds who won the electrifying encounter 60-57 at the Ken Rosewall Arena. Thunderbirds led 32-29 at half-time but by the end of the third both teams were locked on 42 points apiece heading into the crucial fourth quarter.

Thunderbirds edged it taking the quarter 18-15 to seal victory.

Eleanor Cardwell scored 25 goals and Lucy Austin 16 for the Thunderbirds, who moved back into second place with their ninth win of the season and broke a nine-game winning streak by the Swifts for whom Romelda Aiken George scored 27 which included her 8000^th goal in the league. Helen Housby supported with 11 goals.

Defending champions West Coast Fever slipped back to third after going down 65-62 Collingwood Magpies at the Silverdome to record their fifth loss of the season.

In her last match as a Magpie, Shimona Nelson scored 51 goals which proved to be enough to overcome the 53 scored by Fever’s Jhaniele Fowler and help script the franchise’s fairytale ending.

Meanwhile, the Sunshine Coast Lightning burned the Queensland Firebirds 66-60 and GIANTS defeated Melbourne Vixens 60-57.

With 959.5 Net Points to her credit, Fowler-Nembhard is well over 100 points ahead of Sunshine Coast Lightning’s Liz Watson (809.5 points), with Sterling-Humphrey (780 points) in third.

Fowler-Nembhard also has a strangle hold on the goals and attempts leaderboards, with 494 goals and 514 attempts. She has Australian goal shooters Donnell Wallam (378 goals and 440 attempts), Sophie Garbin (363 goals and 413 attempts), and Cara Koenen (340 goals and 376 attempts) keeping close company. Aiken-George is fifth on both standings with 306 goals and 353 attempts.

However, Aiken-George continues to lead the offensive rebounds ladder with 43, ahead of Garbin (37), Koenen (33), Wallam (30), and Fowler-Nembhard (25).

A massive week from Wilson ensured the Sunshine Girl retains pole position on the intercepts ladder, as her tally of 33 now pushed her five ahead of teammate Sterling-Humphrey (28).

Still, Sterling-Humphrey has a firm grip on the deflections leaderboard (62) and defensive rebounds (22), both marginally ahead of Ash Ervin, who has 53 deflections and 18 defensive rebounds. Wilson (49) is third on the deflections ladder.

Meanwhile, despite another Swifts loss, Helen Housby’s willingness to shoot from range has not stopped. She is still leading the Suncorp Super Shots (53) and attempts (81) categories, while Liz Watson has continued her midcourt dominance, with 232 goal assists to her name to go with her 236 centre pass receives.

Fowler’s Fever now has seven wins from nine games to lead the eight-team table with 28 points

Jamaican goal shooter Shimona Nelson was on fire to help the Collingwood Magpies secure a 71-67 win over the Queensland Firebirds at the MyState Bank Arena in Tasmania.

Nelson scored 65 goals from 66 attempts to help the Magpies move to sixth in the table with 16 points from nine matches.

Goal defence Lattanya Wilson and goalkeeper Shamera Sterling each snatched three rebounds but they weren’t enough to prevent their Adelaide Thunderbirds from going down 40-54 to the New South Wales Swifts at the Ken Rosewall Arena.

The Thunderbirds are now seventh in the table with 12 points from nine games.

Contributing to the Fever's success, Sasha Glasgow maintained a perfect shooting record, going three for three and nailing four super shots. By halftime, the Fever held a narrow 37-33 lead.

Despite Jo Harten's 19 goals and the combined efforts of Matisse Letherbarrow and Sophie Dwyer, who both scored 10 goals, the GIANTS found themselves trailing by 10 points at the end of the third quarter. The Fever outscored them 21-15 in a dominant display.

Although the final quarter was a more evenly contested affair, the outcome of the match had already been decided.

With this victory, their ninth of the season, the Fever climbed to second place in the league standings. The New South Wales Swifts remain at the top of the table after a convincing 78-65 win against the Queensland Firebirds at the Nissan Arena. Romelda Aiken-George led the charge for the Swifts, racking up an impressive 43 goals. Supported by Helen Housby's 17 goals, the Swifts secured their 10th win of the season.

Despite Donnell Wallam's 34 goals for the Firebirds, it was another defeat for the team, marking their ninth loss of the season, and leaving them in seventh place in the league.

In the meantime, former league leaders Adelaide Thunderbirds slipped to third place after suffering a close 56-54 loss to the Sunshine Coast Lightning at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

The win, witnessed by a home and away record crowd of 11,267, secured Fever's second spot on the Super Netball table.

The match came on the heels of a tumultuous week for the Swifts, who announced the release of Trinidadian star Samantha Wallace-Joseph on Friday due to "behavior concerns." The loss of Wallace-Joseph, a key player for the Swifts, left the team struggling to adjust their gameplay and maintain cohesion on the court.

Despite the Swifts' impressive tally of 18 supershots to Fever’s one, they were outplayed from the beginning.

 Swifts co-captain Maddy Proud admitted the controversy surrounding Wallace-Joseph had taken a toll on the team. "While it has only come out this week, we have had to deal with it for probably a month. There was a little bit of a relief in a way that all that speculation now has a conclusion," she said following the loss. "It would be silly to say that it hasn’t affected the group. We are a very tight-knit group and we had played with Sammy for eight years. We won two premierships with her and have been through a lot."

The Swifts, still adjusting to playing without a holding shooter like Wallace-Joseph, faced early challenges in feeding a moving circle. This led to moments of confusion between Helen Housby and youngster Sophie Fawns, resulting in both players moving into the same space.

The Fever capitalized on the Swifts' ball-handling errors in the second term, extending their lead to 14 points heading into the third term's power five. Although Fawns managed a flurry of supershots, hitting 11 out of 14 two-point goals, it wasn't enough to close the gap.

Fowler-Nembhard's exceptional aerial prowess earned her MVP honours for the match. Her performance not only secured a vital win for the Fever but also highlighted her as a continued formidable force in the league.

The Fever's victory reinforces their strong position in the league, while the Swifts will need to regroup and adapt quickly to their new team dynamics as they navigate the rest of the season without Wallace-Joseph.

The Firebirds got off to a flyer winning the first quarter 20-13. However, the Lightning rallied to win the second quarter 19-17 and close the lead to just five at the half.

The Lightning emerged from the interval with renewed vigour dominating the third quarter 23-15, taking a three-point lead into the final quarter. They would extend the lead to eight by the time the final whistle was blown.

The Firebirds lie sixth on the eight-team table with 18 points after suffering what was their seventh loss. The Sunshine Coast Lightning are second with 32 points.

Meanwhile, in a battle among Caribbean queens, Trinidad and Tobago’s Samantha Wallace was perfect from the field but it was not enough for the New South Wales Swifts, who lost 80-71 to the West Coast Fever on Saturday.

Wallace was 25 for 25 and teammate Sophie Garbin 13 from 18 but the Swifts were unable to overcome the Fever that were powered by Jhaniele Fowler’s 68 goals from 71 attempts in the match played at the Nissan Arena.

At the end of the first quarter, the Fever led 25-15. However, the Swifts were a lot better in the second quarter when each team scored 16 goals.

The Fever opened up the lead by two goals in the third winning the quarter 22-20. However, the Swifts produced a strong finish to win the final quarter 20-19 but it was not nearly enough.

Their seventh win of the season since the resumption, means the Fever have 30 points for third place, two ahead of the Swifts with two rounds to go.

The Melbourne Vixens leads the group with 42 points.

Jhaniele Fowler, meanwhile, led the West Coast Fever to another victory, this time over the Adelaide Thunderbirds.

Nelson scored 54 goals from 55 attempts and Gabriela Sinclair six goals from seven attempts for the Magpies that led 17-15 at the end of the first quarter. The scores were tied at 33-33 at half-time as Romelda Aiken, who scored 33 goals from 37 attempts and Gretel Bueta 18 goals from 22 attempts, kept it close.

However, the Magpies outscored the Firebirds 19-16 in the third. Those three goals made all the difference as the teams battled to 16 goals apiece in the final quarter.

Fowler continued her dominant play this season scoring 54 goals from 57 attempts and Sasha Glasgow seven from 10, as the West Coast Fever defeated the Adelaide Thunderbirds 70-62.

The teams were tied at 34-34 at half-time but the Fever outscored their opponents 21-14 and 15-14 in the third and fourth quarters, respectively to pull off the eight-goal victory.

Lenise Potgieter scored 25 goals from 26 attempts and Georgie Horjus 20 from 24 for the losers.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, New South Wales Swifts went down 54-58 to the Sunshine Coast Lightning despite 36 goals from Samantha Wallace and 11 from Helen Hornsby.

Cara Koenen scored 38 goals for the Lightning and was supported by 12 goals from Steph Wood.