Jamaica’s trio of Kadie-Ann Dehaney, Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, and Shanice Beckford rose to the occasion in emphatic fashion as West Coast Fever stormed to a seventh straight win and handed NSW Swifts their first defeat of the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) League season with a commanding 79–68 victory at Ken Rosewall Arena on Saturday.
The Jamaican stars fired on all cylinders in the high-stakes clash, as Fowler-Nembhard produced a near-flawless shooting display of 71 goals from 72 attempts to lead Fever’s attacking charge. Beckford provided excellent support with a perfect three from three, while defensive stalwart Dehaney was instrumental in dismantling the Swifts’ usually potent attack with an inspired performance at the back.
Fever’s balanced effort also saw Olivia Wilkinson contribute with a composed outing, as she netted one goal in regular play and added two more from the Supershot line.
In contrast, Swifts’ attacking ace Grace Nweke was kept in check. The usually prolific shooter finished with 48 goals from 59 attempts under relentless pressure from Dehaney. Helen Housby tallied four from four in regular play and eight from 15 in Supershots, but it was not enough to stem the Fever tide.
The victory closes the gap atop the standings, with Fever remaining second on 28 points, now just four points behind the Swifts (32 points).
Jordan Cransberg was dominant in the midcourt for the Fever. (Photos: Getty Images)
The opening quarter was a goal-for-goal shootout between Fowler-Nembhard and Nweke, as both teams pushed the pace early. Fever grabbed the first significant break thanks to Dehaney’s aggressive play outside the circle, which helped the visitors to a 13–11 lead after 10 minutes.
Late in the quarter, Fever capitalised on a couple of Swifts' errors to extend their advantage. A 21–15 first-quarter lead reflected their clinical conversion rate and defensive discipline.
The second quarter proved to be a scrappy, low-scoring affair — the lowest-scoring quarter for both teams this season. While Fever’s penalties mounted, they remained effective in attack, as Fowler-Nembhard continued to convert seamlessly. At the defensive end, Dehaney’s pressure forced multiple Nweke misses, unsettling Swifts' rhythm.
Housby’s late Supershots briefly narrowed the gap, but Fever maintained their composure to take a 39–32 lead into halftime.
Kadie-Ann Dehaney was a force in Fever's defence.
Swifts opened the third term with renewed energy and quickly cut the deficit with a 3–0 run. However, Fever’s mid-court, led by standout Jordan Cransberg, who tallied 27 assists, six deflections, two turnovers, and one intercept, regained control. Dehaney continued to frustrate Nweke, and Fever steadied to maintain a 53–49 lead heading into the final period.
In the fourth quarter, Fever shifted into another gear. With Housby briefly benched, Fever’s defensive unit clamped down and blew the margin out to nine goals with two minutes to play to seal the result.
Fever head coach Dan Ryan lauded his team’s composure and balance after the breakthrough win. He was particularly complimentary of Dehaney’s defensive contribution.
"Kadie-Ann's persistence was really important for us. She kept chipping away and had great support from Sunday [Aryang], Fran [Williams], and Jess [Anstiss] out the front of her," Ryan said.