By Rosie Gale
Fever has held on to return to the winner’s list, defeating Sydney by three points in a thrilling showdown in Perth.
The GIANTS led comfortably at halftime, but the Fever turned up the heat in the third quarter, staging a remarkable comeback from a 10-goal deficit to clinch a dramatic win at RAC Arena.
A crucial late intercept from Jess Anstiss and a powerful fourth-quarter effort from Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard sealed the win for the Fever, with the skipper performing outstandingly, tallying three deflections and two intercepts. She narrowly missed out on MVP honours, which went to Alice Teague-Neeld for her exceptional performance, including 100.5 Nissan Net Points, 36 goal assists, 23 centre pass receives, and 47 feeds.
The third-placed Fever hosted the GIANTS, eager to rebound from a surprising 78-70 loss to the Firebirds in Queensland last round. This eight-goal defeat marked their third loss in four games after a dominant start to the 2024 season.
Jamie-Lee Price and Maddie Hay signaled their intentions early, running rampant in the early going as the GIANTS were ferocious at the contest against the Fever.
It was Jo Harten who opened proceedings on the scoreboard, and was exceptional for the GIANTS. The goal shooter was a bundle of energy for the away bottom side, working tirelessly on offense and leading team huddles to energise her team from start to finish.
Matilda McDonnell’s presence behind the ball was a welcome addition who worked well with Jodi-Ann Ward to attempt to shut down superstar Fowler-Nembhard.
The GIANTS delivered a first-quarter shutout, holding the Fever to just 18 points, taking a solid three-goal lead into the first break.
After the away teams’ strong start, the Fever were always going to respond, but the GIANTS shut them out early. Fever defense struggled to gain possession, while the GIANTS' attack was textbook, netting seven of the last 10 goals just four minutes into the second term.
In a match highlight, Amy Sligar expertly positioned herself against Teague-Neeld, taking an impressive deflection to set up the GIANTS. Harten loomed as the danger woman for the team in orange, scoring back-to-back goals and controlling the game's pace, prompting Fever coach Dan Ryan to call a tactical timeout.
When the Fever needed a response, Dehaney delivered with a huge deflection. Anstiss courageously drew contact after Jordan Cransberg replaced Kelsey Browne in the lineup to inject fresh energy.
Shanice Beckford dropped her first Super Shot of the game, clawing back the score to within two. But Dwyer responded in kind, silencing the Fever home crowd at RAC Arena. Meanwhile, Fowler-Nembhard missed three Super Shots while Harten and Dwyer slotted them in for the GIANTS. Despite the tough ask against Fowler-Nembhard, the GIANTS were excellent defensively, stifling Fever’s attack.
Jamie-Lee Price led the Nissan Net Points at halftime with 57.5, 13 goal assists, and 25 feeds. The attack was firing on all cylinders, putting the Fever on the back foot.
Time in possession favoured the GIANTS at 53 per cent versus the Fever’s 47 per cent. The GIANTS were more calm and patient when they had the ball.
The GIANTS looked confident and in control of the Fever, leading 41-33 at halftime as the home side struggled in Super Shot territory.
After what was another dominant term from the GIANTS, the third quarter followed a different trajectory as Fever threatened to break the game wide open while the GIANTS fought to hold onto their early lead.
Fever made key lineup changes to start the third term, shifting Anstiss to centre, Aryang to wing defence, and Williams to goal defence, while resting Cransberg on the bench, all in an effort to shift the momentum.
There were some crucial defensive efforts from Anstiss, Aryang and Williams – the former doing a great job this quarter in quelling a dominant and dangerous Price, while an intercept from Williams which led to a Fowler-Nembhard goal was indicative of the Fever’s refreshed hunger for the contest after the halftime break.
After a GIANTS' timeout, Williams came out in colourful fashion once again, stamping herself on the proceedings with another crucial intercept leading to a Fever goal, leveling the scores 48-48. Dehaney followed the trajectory with an intercept of her own and the home team were able to convert, stealing the lead on the scoreboard for the first time in the second half.
In exactly what the GIANTS needed, Harten nailed a Super Shot to close the gap to 53-50, keeping the GIANTS in contention after a strong push from the Fever
Early on in the final term, both teams were going goal-for-goal and it was captain Anstiss who stood up for the Fever. She intercepted the ball off the GIANTS' circle edge, setting up a Wilkinson goal that stretched the home side’s lead to five.
As Dwyer went out of court, Wilkinson seized the opportunity and set up Fowler-Nembhard for a crucial goal under the post. This prompted the GIANTS to call a tactical timeout.
After struggling with Super Shots early on, the GIANTS needed to leverage their depth in the shooting circle. Right at Power Five, they secured an offensive contact—exactly what they needed to turn the tables in their favour.
Harten landed her sixth Super Shot, and Dehaney made a clean intercept from Price. Wilkinson then set up a shooter-to-shooter pass to Fowler-Nembhard, but Tilly McDonnell made a standout deflection with her outside arm, showcasing one of her best performances of the season. The GIANTS closed the gap to three with a Super Shot from Dwyer.
Dan Ryan called a tactical timeout, leading to a missed Dwyer Super Shot who was then penalised for a held ball on her next attempt. With possession critical, Fowler-Nembhard took full advantage, nailing a goal from a Fever centre pass. Despite a valiant defensive effort from Tilly McDonnell, the home side’s momentum proved unstoppable, igniting the crowd as they roared to their feet.
Harten nailed another Super Shot, but it wasn't enough to turn the tide. Fever clinched a 68-65 win, powered by a dominant third quarter that propelled them back to the winners' list.
