By Charlie McKay
The Queensland Firebirds dominated West Coast Fever at Nissan Arena on Saturday night, clinching a comfortable 67-54 win.
The Firebirds’ record-breaking win against the GIANTS last week was far from perfect, but tonight they left no stone unturned.
They’ve proven they can back up a win, punctuating their first-round away win with a spirited victory at home.
They faced a Fever team desperate for redemption off the back of a crushing 18-goal loss at home to kick off their season.
The new cellar dwellers are in uncharted territory, having not been out of the top four since early in 2021. They’ve now gone 0-2 for the first time since 2019.
Firebirds star shooter Mary Cholhok came under fire last week after a shaky performance under the post, shooting at only 73 per cent.
But she silenced the critics tonight, standing tall under the post and sinking 42 goals at 85 per cent.
Ugandan superstar Mary Cholhok delivered a masterclass performanceThe Firebirds midcourters showed composure and poise, working the ball to circle edge and finding Cholhok with ease.
Fever were caught flat-footed early and the Firebirds powered into the first break with a 19-13 lead.
Macy Gardner built on last week's form, commanding the midcourt and racking up 88.5 Net Points.
Despite their strong start, Firebirds coach Kiri Wills mixed up her midcourt in the second term, benching Hulita Veve and injecting the speed of Tippah Dwan and Lara Dunkley to complement Gardner.
The changes paid off, and the Fever had no answers in defence.
After some blunders in the shooting circle, Fever coach Dan Ryan swung Alice Teague-Neeld into goal attack and introduced Jordan Cransberg into wing attack, sending Shanice Beckford to the bench.
It was to no avail though, and the Firebirds built on their momentum to take an intimidating 13-goal lead into the main break.
Fever couldn't find their rhythm in attackThe experience of Mwai Kumwenda was brought into goal shooter to steady the Fever ship, with Ryan admitting his team had been “reckless in attack” to start the game.
Dehaney dug deep to win ball for her team, and Kumwenda fired super shots to keep Fever's hopes alive.
Olivia Wilkinson was guilty of soft hands at times in just her second four-quarter performance in SSN.
Despite momentary lapses in flow, the Firebirds continued to assert their dominance over a shell-shocked Fever outfit, taking a 15-goal lead into the final break.
Fever showed fight in the final term, clawing back the deficit to 10 before losing steam.
Ruth Aryang showcased her talent late in the game, ripping in a handful of intercepts to spark a Fever resurgence.
But the Firebirds were too strong, charging home in front of a vocal Brisbane crowd.
They outmuscled their rivals and showed patience in critical moments to seal their second consecutive win for the season.
The Firebirds’ message is loud and clear: they’ve come to play in 2025.
