Perfect 10: Fever torch Lightning in record fashion

Steve Barrett |

The Fever’s Alice Teague-Neeld celebrated her 100th game in winning style against the Lightning.
The Fever’s Alice Teague-Neeld celebrated her 100th game in winning style against the Lightning.

Rampant West Coast Fever have created Super Netball history, winning a single-season record 10th straight game with a 69-54 trouncing of Sunshine Coast Lightning.

The Fever hushed the sold-out UniSC Arena early with a commanding opening salvo, before finishing with a heavy flourish to move to 10-2.

Since the current format superseded the old Trans-Tasman Championship in 2017, no team had won 10 in a row in one year until West Coast’s history-making performance on the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.

Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard of the Fever.
Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard dominated scoring in the Fever’s win over the Lightning. (Richard Wainwright/AAP PHOTOS)

In-form Alice Teague-Neeld celebrated her 100th game by amassing 26 assists and 40 feeds, her dominance at wing attack capitalised on by star goaler Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, who hit 51 goals

The previous best by any team was nine consecutive victories, a three-way tie between the NSW Swifts (2023, 2025) and the Lightning (2019).

With two more regular-season games to come before finals, the Fever are in no hurry to end the streak.

“Definitely going for (wins) 11 and 12,” said Teague-Neeld, who was named player of the match.

“Every team knows it’s important to finish the season strong leading into finals.

“Definitely looking for a couple more wins.”

Teague-Neeld’s combination with centre Jordan Cransberg was lethal from the start, forcing Sunshine Coast’s midcourt into costly cough-ups as the Fever strolled to a 22-13 quarter-time lead.

The Lightning's Liz Watson.
The Lightning’s Liz Watson did her best to lift her team, but the Fever proved too strong. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)

Diamonds captain Liz Watson lifted the Lightning in the second term, having the better of West Coast skipper Jess Anstiss, but the home side’s errant finishing from long range meant the margin was still nine goals at halftime.

Sunshine Coast trimmed the deficit to seven in the third quarter, but continued to be hit-and-miss with their goal-shooting before being snowed under in the final period.

Attacking trio Teague-Neeld, Fowler-Nembhard and Shanice Beckford ran riot as the Fever blew the margin out to 69-50 late, inflicting the Lightning’s equal-heaviest defeat of the season and leaving them barely clinging to a spot in the top four at 6-6.

AAP