By Matt Fotia
A superb second half comeback has kept the West Coast Fever’s slim minor premiership hopes alive, as the 2022 premiers overran a gallant GIANTS outfit to win 68-65.
The win keeps the Fever level on points with the second placed Adelaide Thunderbirds and just one game behind the ladder leading Melbourne Vixens, whom they play this weekend.
Victory didn’t look likely at half time on Sunday, with the GIANTS shooting out to an eight-goal half time lead, before a 20 goal to 9 third quarter swung things back in the Fever’s favour.
Coach Dan Ryan said a simple lack of intensity was to blame for the lacklustre first half and sent his side back out on court with a simple message.
“Our intensity wasn’t where it needed to be in that first 30 minutes, we’d allowed the GIANTS to get really confident and comfortable,” Ryan said.
“It was a pretty simple message.
“Put the work rate out (there) that we know can grind down teams and if we were prepared to do that work overtime, we knew we could break them.”
The impressive second half display was a source of pride for Ryan, as he and his side eye another finals campaign.
“I’m really proud of the fightback,” Ryan said.
“That was like a finals-like game in terms of the intensity and the decision (making) under pressure, so we will really take a lot out of that.”
Ryan did make some tactical moves to accompany the request for more effort, moving captain Jess Anstiss into the centre position to combat Jamie-Lee Price’s influence, swapping Sunday Aryang into wing defence and bringing England international Fran Williams off the bench and into goal defence.
The trio combined for six gains, five intercepts and two deflections in a much improved second half defensive showing.
“Our transverse line pressure defensively got far better when we made those adjustments,” Ryan said of the trio.
“I thought the combination between Jess, Sunday and Fran across that line had far better delay and impact.
“They were able to slow down a little bit of the ball speed and depth that the GIANTS were just killing us with early in the game and that was where the grind really started for us.”
Up and coming goaler Olivia Wilkinson also impressed off the bench for the Fever, finishing the game with 10 feeds, 9 assists and 4 goals in her 20 minutes of court time.
Olivia Wilkinson continues to grow week on weekWilkinson, recruited from Victoria this season, has played just 154 minutes in 2024 but is growing with every moment according to her coach.
“She had an awesome game,” Ryan said.
“A really clean and tidy game with her skills, which is a great step forward for her.
“We’ve been really open with Liv about what her role might look like and she’s just embracing it.
“As a youngster there’s going to be times where she does things really well and there’s times where she might not quite execute, but I thought today she was outstanding for us.
“She really connected in nicely there with Alice (Teague-Neeld) and had a good partnership with J (Fowler-Nembhard) as well.”
The Fever now turn their attention to the final two games of the home and away season and will be hopeful they can get back to their dominant early season form.
Captain Jess Anstiss says the inconsistency of recent weeks has been a great learning experience for her side and hopes they can take those learnings into their crucial game against the Vixens this Sunday.
“It’s been a great experience for us, to have the loss (to the Firebirds) and also today come from behind,
“In the first part of the season we were winning and dominating, so we didn’t get those experiences, so I think taking those into these games coming up, especially against the Vixens.”
