Last Week
Fever lost their first game of the season by a single goal to an impressive Thunderbirds team in a tight affair.
Defensive pressure and Super Shot accuracy by Adelaide proved the difference, despite Fever leading for almost the whole game.
It was Eleanor Cardwell who scored the match deciding Super Shot with less than 10 seconds on the clock to seal the game in dramatic fashion.
Lightning took on the Magpies in the ANZAC Day match in Melbourne, romping to a dominant 65-50 win.
Collingwood got off to a fast start, reaching a five-goal lead in just five minutes but from there on the Lightning could not be stopped.
A dominant performance by South African Goal Defence Karla Pretorius saw her collect 10 Gains, four Intercepts and seven Deflections.
Match Ups
Former Fever player Shannon Eagland could take to the court this week to face her old club. Eagland played 12 minutes in the Lightning’s most recent game which included a Deflection after being included in the Lightning playing squad mid-season.
While there will be plenty of action on the court, there is also a key matchup off it. Former Fever Assistant Coach Belinda Reynolds is the Head Coach of the Lightning after leaving WA last year.
Will her knowledge of Fever’s players and playing style be an advantage or will Fever Head Coach Dan Ryan win the tactical battle in the first clash against his former apprentice?
Another intriguing battle will be in Fever’s defensive circle as Skipper Courtney Bruce and Sunday Aryang go head-to-head with Diamonds teammates Steph Wood and Cara Koenen.
Bruce is coming off an amazing performance against the Thunderbirds where she collected five Gains and eight Deflections. While Koenen is currently sitting fourth on the Nissan Net Points leaderboard with 541 points to go with her 251 goals.
Last Time They Met
Round 9, 2022 – Fever 74 defeated Lightning 65
Fever were able to restrict a late push from the Lightning to win the game by nine goals during last year’s Pride Round.
It was a strong 22-11 second term for the Fever which set up the win, despite Lightning putting up a tough challenge in the latter half of the game.
Jhaniele Fowler was at her brilliant, best scoring 66 goals without a miss. While Courtney Bruce also had a day out with nine Gains and five Intercepts.
Stats and Facts
Alice Teague-Neeld will be looking to pass 150 goal assists this weekend. The Wing Attack already has a competition leading 148 ahead of Liz Watson (130) and Lightning’s Steph Wood (128).
Teague-Neeld’s feeding to Fowler and Sasha Glasgow has been instrumental in allowing Fever to have scored nearly 50 more goals than any of their rivals.
Fowler is making the most of Teague-Neeld’s service as she is currently shooting at 98 per cent this season. If the Goal Shooter’s record against the Lightning is anything to go by that number may even increase.
Match Preview Compiled by Oliver Lane
