By Charlie McKay
Mavericks are flying high after a spirited performance saw them take down Firebirds 71-64 in front of a home crowd in Hobart.
Stakes were high in this Round 6 clash, with both sides desperate to break their losing streaks and claw their way back into form.
But the Firebirds are now four losses on the trot as speculation continues to swirl around their form despite a raft of changes to the team in 2025.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks have bounced back from consecutive heavy losses, proving they're still a genuine threat when firing.
They were buoyed by the return of captain Amy Parmenter, who rejoined the lineup after being a late withdrawal in last week’s loss to West Coast Fever.
Mavericks were desperate to secure their second win for the season.The Firebirds shot off to a strong start, continuing their trend of first-quarter dominance in 2025.
Having won majority of their opening terms this season, they looked set to repeat the pattern — but the Mavericks had other plans.
The home team wrestled back momentum, and a late surge saw them level the scores at 18 apiece heading into the first break.
A hungry Mavericks outfit put their foot down in the second quarter, stealing ball in defence and lifting their centre pass conversion rate.
Defender Liv Lewis was relentless over the shot, racking up a staggering five blocks over Firebirds spearhead Mary Cholhok despite giving away 16 centimetres.
In response, Firebirds coach Kiri Wills injected Abigail Latu-Meafou alongside Emily Moore for a two-pronged super shot threat, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap.
Mavericks took a 36-30 lead into half time.
Mavericks were ranked last in defence coming into Round 6.Mavericks continued to punish in the third, tightening the screws in defence while finding rhythm and fluency in attack.
While the Firebirds struggled to find their footing, plagued by general play turnovers and a low centre pass-to-goal conversion rate.
But the visitors managed to clinch the final quarter and looked to spark a late comeback through the super shot, but time wasn’t on their side.
Mavericks' inaugural MVP Shimona Jok was reliable as ever under the post, shooting 61 goals at 100 per cent accuracy.
Her shooting partner Sasha Glasgow also stood up after a handful of quiet performances to start the 2025 season, finishing the game with 25 goal assists and 63 Net Points.
Mavericks head coach Tracey Neville backed her starting seven, making no changes throughout the match except for briefly injecting Uneeq Palavi.
Conversely, Firebirds rotated through a raft of changes in search of answers, but couldn’t disrupt a composed and in-form Mavericks outfit.
The Queensland side will face scrutiny once again for their performance as they look to re-group ahead of next week's match up against the Vixens.
Mavericks will hope to carry momentum into Round 7 when they face a formidable Thunderbirds outfit.
