A strong performance by the Jamaican trio of defenders Shamera Sterling-Humphrey and Latanya Wilson, along with goal shooter Romelda Aiken-George, powered the defending champions Adelaide Thunderbirds to a dominant 67-41 victory over the Melbourne Mavericks in the Super Netball League this weekend.
The win elevated the Thunderbirds to second place in the standings.
Meanwhile, the Queensland Firebirds pulled off the season’s biggest upset, overcoming their off-court challenges to secure a stunning 78-70 win against the West Coast Fever. The Firebirds’ unexpected victory at the Nissan Arena in Brisbane saw them climb off the bottom of the standings.
Jamaica’s captain, Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, regarded as one of the world’s best goal shooters, delivered an impressive performance for the Fever with 65 goals from 57 out of 58 attempts inside the arc and four out of nine from outside. However, her efforts couldn’t prevent the Fever from suffering their second defeat of the season.
The Fever looked set for a comfortable win, surging ahead 20-12 in the first quarter. However, an 8-0 run, highlighted by back-to-back super shots from Donnell Wallam in the last 12 seconds, tied the game at 20-20 by the end of the first quarter.
Kadie-Ann Dehaney’s two-minute suspension
With acting captain Lara Dunkley excelling at wing attack and Macy Gardner replacing Hulita Veve at center, the Firebirds took a surprising 41-39 lead at halftime, thanks to another two-pointer from Wallam right at the buzzer.
The Firebirds capitalized on a pair of turnovers from Fowler-Nembhard early in the third quarter to extend their grip, finishing the quarter with a 57-51 lead. In the final quarter, Jamaican defender Kadie-Ann Dehaney’s two-minute suspension for dangerous contact added to the Fever’s struggles. Although Fowler-Nembhard managed to narrow the gap, the Firebirds sealed their victory with a spirited 7-0 run.
Fever goal attack Shanice Beckford of Jamaica scored four goals from eight attempts, including three missed super shots, and Dehaney contributed two interceptions and four deflections.
The defeat saw the Fever drop from second to third place in the standings with 32 points, the same as the Thunderbirds, who moved up to second place. The Thunderbirds are now four points behind the league leaders, Melbourne Vixens, thanks to another stellar defensive performance by Sterling-Humphrey and Wilson.
