By Rosie Gale
Fever has picked up right where it left off, holding off the NSW Swifts with its high-pressure style in a methodical performance in Round 4’s Easter Monday clash in Sydney.
Despite coming into the match with last week's win against the Firebirds, the Swifts were unable to maintain their streak against the league leaders, as a massive second-half surge helped the Fever secure a 78-67 victory.
From the opening siren, the Swifts came out firing and secured an early lead against the Fever, who made some uncharacteristic errors early on. With Helen Housby's commanding presence out front, her expert feeds and connections to Romelda Aiken-George were unmatched.
Despite the Swifts' early run, the ladder leaders managed to quickly pull back the deficit to 9-9 with just under seven minutes to go in the first term, prompting a tactical time-out called by Swifts coach Briony Akle.
As the teams approached the first Power 5 of the match the scores were level at 10-10. The Swifts quickly regained the upper hand though as Housby sank her first Super Shot, giving the team in red a two-goal advantage (12-10).
After missing her second super shot, Housby was able to redeem herself with help from Aiken-George who collected the rebound and scored for the Swifts.
With only 70 seconds remaining, both teams played conservatively until Fowler landed her first super shot of the season on the buzzer, leaving the Fever trailing by just three points at the end of the quarter (15-18).
In the second term, both teams ramped up their physicality and Swift's Allie Smith was exceptional in applying pressure to the Fever's attack.
Following a tactical time-out called by Fever's coach Dan Ryan, Kim Jenner was brought on in GD and made an immediate impact with her strong one-on-one work and a crucial tip that was secured by Courtney Bruce, helping to reduce the deficit.
The scores were tied at 29-29 going into the Power 5, where Sasha Glasgow's super shot gave the Fever the lead, prompting Akle to call for another time-out. Both teams seemed to resist the temptation of the super-shot until Housby sank another, levelling the scores at 35-35 going into half time.
The Fever had the momentum in the second half, fuelled by relentless defense from Courtney Bruce, pushing them to a 3-point lead in the opening five minutes.
At the Power 5, Sophie Fawns joined Housby to create a moving circle, but the Fever's defenders weathered the storm and responded with a critical turnover. Despite the Swifts' defensive pressure increasing, the Fever held them off, heading into the final quarter with an 8-point lead.
In the final term, the Fever displayed their composure and experience, maintaining momentum through smart and patient play.
With only 10 minutes left, the Swifts needed to slow down their attack and sink some super shots to close the gap. However, Glasgow's consistent super shot sinking kept the play level every time the Swifts created an opportunity for a comeback.
With four minutes remaining, Housby managed to sink another super shot, Glasgow quickly responded, keeping the lead at 10 goals.
In the end, the patient and controlled Fever attack line kept possession, sealing the game with an 11-goal victory (67-78) at Sydney's Rosewall Arena.
