Super Netball Round Three: Super shooters headline team of the week, have your say
Fowler-Nembhard led Fever to their first victory of the year as she claimed MVP honours in her first game of the season after personal heartache.
The five-time Super Netball player of the year finished her return match with 59 goals from 60 attempts.
Jok went close after an MVP showing herself in her 100th national league match in the first half of the split round on Easter Sunday, while Swifts superstar Grace Nweke notched 48 goals, to give her a three-match average of just under 50.
Diamonds shooter Cara Koenen had her best game of the season to help Sunshine Coast Lightning snap the Queensland Firebirds' unbeaten start to the year in a stellar celebration of her 100th game.
Koenen snared MVP honours in the Queensland derby on Saturday, finishing with 41 points from 39-of-44 shooting, including two successful super shots that swished through the net to the roar of the crowd.
After making just one super shot attempt last year, Koenen finished with two-from-two from long range.
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News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
Xavier Cooks stars as Boomers come back from 15-point deficit in Asia Cup thriller against China
King Cooks saved his best for last with the most dominant individual performance of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup as the Australian Boomers showed grit and guts to fight back from 15 points down to claim a third straight gold medal at the tournament. In what would become one of the most entertaining and closely fought contests in Asia Cup history, Australia and China traded big shot after big shot in a cutthroat fourth quarter that produced an incredible 19 lead changes, ending in a 90-89 nailbiter to the Boomers. Coach Adam Caporn said his Boomers were 'shellshocked' early before digging deep to comeback into the game. 'I'm just so proud of the character of our guys,' Caporn said. 'They obviously had a good start, and I thought we were a little off. We were a little shell shocked, defensively, a step off our coverages and credit to them, they put us on our heels. 'We were down 15, very tight, close game, and I felt the poise of our players, felt their toughness, felt their problem solving attitudes - and we had that from the start of camp. 'Once we got our momentum, it was neck and neck till the end. 'It's a credit to the players. That's not something we taught them.' Xavier Cooks, the 2022 NBL MVP and 2023 World Cup Boomer feasted on the Chinese, who could not handle the 203cm star's awkward combination of size, speed and guard-like skills as he poured in 30 points and tore down 9 rebounds. Watching the 29-year-old dive on the floor after every loose ball and fight for possession several times in the fourth quarter was an indicator of just how much the green and gold means to the former Washington Wizard — even if a late mistake gave China a chance to steal it at the buzzer. Up two with 3.9 seconds left, Cooks was fouled in a baseline scrap and sent to the free throw line. A review of the play showed he also made contact with the head of China's Rui Zhao and he was assessed an unsportsmanlike foul. He made one of two free throws, then Zhao made both of his, cutting the lead to one. China did get a look but Mingxuan Hu went from 26-point hero to zero as his three-point try was off the mark, cuing the Aussie celebrations. Cooks set the standard but the Boomers had heroes everywhere, chiefly in the form of the emergent Jaylin Galloway. Through a series of nasty dunks and a tournament-high six three pointers, Galloway produced 23 points and 5 rebounds against the Chinese. The 22-year-old, Cooks' teammate at the Kings, was the clear standout in an even Boomers' outfit, averaging 15.7 points and shooting a ridiculous 18-28 on threes — 64 per cent — on the way to being named tournament MVP and an All-Star Five nod. A shoulder injury cruelled his NBL25 campaign and he's endured a mental and physical battle to get back to his best. The athleticism had always been there but the uptick in Galloway's deep shooting was a pleasant surprise and a skill that could help him take the NBL by storm this season. To give you an idea of how even Australia's performance across the tournament was, Galloway's 15.7 points led the team — but was only good enough for 16th in the tournament — no Australian was among the top 15 rebounders and only Will Hickey (5.3, sixth) was in the top 25 in assists. As good as Cooks was at both ends, captain Will Magnay was an absolute monster in defence, producing perhaps the best four-point game of his international career. As the rest of the Aussies struggled to contain the potent Chinese — collectively bigger, stronger and more athletic than any other opponent the Boomers had faced at the tournament — Magnay was a Rock of Gibraltar in defence. The Boomers were +18 with the Olympian on the floor in 1-point win, his stocks sheet reading three steals and three blocks to go with 5 rebounds and 4 assists — a game personified by unselfishness. Will Hickey promised to put a target on the Chinese and his length and athleticism was impossible to handle for their smaller guards on his way to 15 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. The 26-year-old split them open time and time again throughout the game, coming up huge late. With one minute to go, Hickey caught a Jack McVeigh airball and laid it in to give the Boomers a one-point lead. On the next play, the Illawarra Hawks championship guard gathered a China miss, then found Magnay rolling to the cup. The Aussie captain was fouled and potted 1-2 to give the Boomers an 89-87 lead with 24.6 left as the late drama unfolded. Jack White had been the unsung hero of the Boomers' campaign but the Aussies will be singing his name from the 1000m Jeddah Tower after his block on a Meng Lei three-point attempt with seven seconds left preserved a two-point lead. Jack McVeigh was the fourth Boomer in double digits with 11 points in the final and he was as much responsible for Australia's golden run as anyone, averaging 13.5 points per game. China found supremacy in the form of 211cm tower Jinqiu Hu (20 points, 10 rebounds) and lightning quick guard Mingxuan Hu (26) in the heartbreaking defeat.
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Perth Now
Aussies stunning comeback to secure epic three-peat
A dominant Asia Cup came with a barnstorming finish for the Australian Boomers who came from 15 points down in the final to defeat China by one to complete a three-peat of titles and a first for new coach Adam Caporn. Xavier Cooks poured in 30 points to secure the heart-stopping win in Jeddah with a 90-89 win. Unchallenged for most of the tournament, playing without a host of NBA stars, the Boomers survived a last-ditch China effort with a missed final shot as time expired. Cooks, who also collected nine rebounds, was named played of the match while Jaylin Galloway, playing in his first Asia Cup final, drilled six three-pointers on his way to 23 points and five rebounds. He was later named the tournament's MVP and nominated in the All Star Five along with fellow Boomer Jack McVeigh. William Hickey delivered when it mattered most, finishing with 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks, including clutch plays down the stretch. The victory came after China raced to a 25-17 early lead, which was 36-21 in the second quarter, before Cooks powered the Australian fightback. The deficit was just four points at halftime before the rollercoaster of lead changes in the tight affair. The Boomers beat China to win the Asia Cup. Pic: Supplied Credit: Supplied But even at the final change the Australians were down three points. It wasn't until the final minuted the Boomers took the lead, and never surrendered it The Boomers now boast an 18-0 record since the tournament's inception in 2007, cementing themselves as the modern powerhouse of Asian basketball.
7NEWS
3 days ago
- 7NEWS
Boomers win third straight Asia Cup title after one-point thriller over China
Australia have lifted the Asia Cup for the third time in a row after a magnificent, nerve-shredding and ultimately euphoric 90-89 victory over China at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. There could not have been a tighter finish, with China missing a go-ahead shot as time expired. It was a supreme team effort but leading the way for the Boomers was the unstoppable Xavier Cooks, who paved the way with 30 points on an efficient 13-of-17 shooting. He also collected nine rebounds and constantly broke down China's defence with his drives. He was named the game's most valuable player. Jaylin Galloway, playing in his first Asia Cup final, also rose to the occasion, drilling six triples on his way to 23 points and five rebounds. He was later named the tournament's MVP and nominated in the All Star Five along with fellow Boomer Jack McVeigh. William Hickey delivered when it mattered most, finishing with 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks, including clutch plays down the stretch. For China, Hu Mingxuan carried the offensive load with 26 points and five three-pointers, while veteran big man Hu Jinqiu supplied a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double that kept his team in contention until the final seconds. China struck first with a strong opening frame behind Jinqiu's inside scoring and Mingxuan's timely shooting, building a 25-17 lead. That cushion stretched to 36-21 in the second quarter, before Cooks powered a furious Australian fightback trimming the deficit to just four at halftime. The third quarter saw momentum swing wildly. Galloway's fastbreak slam capped a 9-0 surge that briefly put the Boomers ahead, only for China to hit back with big triples from Cheng Shuaipeng and Lei Meng. Galloway's buzzer-beating corner three left Australia trailing by just three entering the final frame, setting the stage for a tense finish. Cooks and Galloway combined for clutch baskets, while Mingxuan answered with big shots of his own. Hickey's backdoor finish, a key putback and Will Magnay's huge block kept Australia in front by the slimmest of margins. With under a minute left, Hickey's uncontested putback gave the Boomers the lead for good before Cooks and Zhao Rui traded free-throws. Mingxuan's potential game-winner at the buzzer bounced off the iron, sealing the 90-89 victory for coach Adam Caporn's side. For Australia, the win in Saudi Arabia means more than just another trophy. Since debuting in 2017, the Boomers have been untouchable in Asia Cup play, now boasting an 18-0 record and cementing themselves as the modern powerhouse of Asian basketball.
