Nweke scores 54 as Swifts beat Thunderbirds
Star New Zealand goalshooter Grace Nweke has produced yet another dazzling display to help lead the NSW Swifts to a 71-63 win over the Queensland Thunderbirds at Ken Rosewall Arena.
Scores were level at half-time of Sunday's Super Netball match, but the Swifts broke the contest open with a 23-13 third quarter to improve their season record to a perfect 4-0.
Nweke was the star of the show, nailing 54 goals from 56 attempts
The 23-year-old shot 148 goals across her first three games for the Swifts, and she was unstoppable yet again.
"I'm learning on the job and really enjoying it," Nweke told Fox Sports
"I'm happy with how I played. I think it's a pretty standard game for me.
"I'm working on keeping my losses down. Just wanting to be a bit better in that regard.
"I feel like I was available to the ball and pretty accurate with my shots, so can't complain too much.
Nweke has been working on her movement in order to become a more complete player.
"I'm not wanting to be a one-trick pony," she said.
"I want to be able to diversify my skill sets, and know that in moments where I need to change up what I'm doing, I can do that."
Swifts wing attack Paige Hadley was also a powerhouse, earning player of the match honours for her 32 feeds and just one turnover.
"I was just so in the moment," Hadley said.
"We knew it was going to be a grind. I'm really proud of the girls in that third quarter. We stuck to our game plan beautifully."
Firebirds goalshooter Mary Cholhok led the way for the visitors with 42 goals from 50 attempts.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
2 days ago
- ABC News
Super Netball Round-Up: Casey Kopua ignores keyboard warriors, netball joins Big Freeze and is it time to bring Lucy Austin back?
Super Netball is heating up with five rounds left in the regular season, as two upsets took place across round nine. It was the highest attended round of 2025 so far, with three sell-outs in Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide. The Vixens recorded their best-ever home crowd of 9,041 as they defeated the Mavericks in the Melbourne Derby, 66-57, and jumped into the top four. They were the only team to win at home on the weekend. The NSW Swifts finally had their eight-match winning streak snapped by the West Coast Fever, 79-68. The top of the ladder clash was attended by close to 9,000 people in Sydney and demonstrated to the rest of the league it is possible to beat the premiership favourites — the key is to isolate goal attack Helen Housby. The Queensland Derby was a bit predictable, as the Sunshine Coast Lightning celebrated Courtney Bruce's 150th game and handed the Firebirds a seventh consecutive loss, 72-62. Lastly, the most interesting result of all was the Giants' victory over the Adelaide Thunderbirds, 66-63. It marked their second win this season — both of which have come against the two-time defending champions. Not many would have got that tip right! If you missed it, don't worry — we'll get you up to speed with our Super Netball Round-Up. We are still trying to come to terms with Casey Kopua's Super Netball debut, six years after she retired from elite netball. It seems it has been a whirlwind two weeks for the 2019 World Cup champion, who is juggling her full-time work and three kids to fill the hole of injured Giants defender Jodi-Ann Ward as a huge favour for coach Julie Fitzgerald. Last week, Kopua spent the full 60 minutes on court against the Vixens. She wasn't expecting to get so much game time. Or for her opponent, Vixens goal shooter Sophie Garbin, to be so cold. "To be honest, I was bloody scared hey, it's so fast and that first ball," Kopua told the Inside Netball podcast. "For me, you always say hello to your opponent [before the game] as a sign of respect but she didn't even acknowledge me. "She said nothing, and I was like 'Oh my god, that's so rude, at least say hello'. 'It's just a game of netball but I got nothing, so me being stubborn I thought, righto if that's how it's going to be, let's go." The Giants lost in round eight by 10 goals, and Kopua finished with two gains. She admits she cannot jump as high as she used to, however, it is the support and structure she offers Erin O'Brien that gave the 21-year-old the confidence to tally seven gains. In the lead-up to round nine, the club secured the services of Kopua for the rest of the season and we got to see her combine with O'Brien again for an entire match. This time they got the win, and the pair had a similar amount of hand to ball, sharing 11 gains. It was the first time Kopua had faced old foe Romelda Aiken-George in many years, as Jamaica and New Zealand were in separate pools at the 2019 World Cup. Kopua is now nine days away from her 40th birthday and said the recent passing of her father was the main reason she answered Fitzgerald's call. Sadly, it has not stopped fans from criticising her comeback. "For me, Super Netball has always been something I was intrigued by and losing my dad a couple of months ago, I knew if he was here, he would have told me, 'You can't turn this down'. "I got a lot of private messages about me stopping people's pathways. "There are the keyboard warriors that put it out there publicly, then there's the ones that come at you behind the scenes. "I would never say that to anybody and I'm just trying to help out a friend here ... For me it's part of giving back to netball and teaching the younger ones a few tricks." The Thunderbirds have faced a couple of bumps in the road in their quest for a historic three-peat. The biggest blow has undoubtedly been the loss of goal keeper Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, bowing out following round three after announcing her pregnancy. They signed South African replacement Sanmarie Visser in her place, before they changed tactics and assigned the GK bib to Latanya Wilson. Wilson has had a cameo there throughout her Super Netball career, but her preferred positions are wing defence and goal defence. Before shifting roles, Wilson was by far the best performing player in the league, now she's got to learn a new craft. The Giants were able to exploit Wilson's busy style of play, dragging her out of the circle to take her away from the contest. The fitness of goal shooter Romelda Aiken-George was another question mark leading into 2025, after she had minor knee surgery in the pre-season. Although Aiken-George seems to be holding up okay, donning a full leg compression on her right side, the super shot isn't a regular skill she pulls out to claw a lead back when her team are down. Against the Giants, both Lauren Frew and Kayla Graham struggled to convert the two-point goals (0/11) which hampered their ability to get back in the game. Homegrown talent Lucy Austin played a role in the Thunderbirds' 2023 and 2024 premierships but has been absent on court. Austin can shoot long. Instead, she has been playing Super Netball Reserves, while defensive midcourter and No.11th player Sophie Casey has been elevated. The one name that hasn't been spoken about a heap, that the Thunderbirds really seem to miss, is Laura Scherian. The veteran finished her career on a high after switching from the Lightning to the Thunderbirds for 2024 and gave the team another solid wing attack option alongside Georgie Horjus. This allowed Horjus to swing freely from WA to GA. The season, Horjus has spent a lot less time inside the circle because she has had to steady the midcourt. So, the balance of this team feels off. They have Visser, Wilson, Casey, Hannah Petty, Tayla Williams and Matilda Garrett to fit into four positions across the midcourt and back third. As Aiken-George, Horjus, Lauren Frew and Kayla Graham look after the front three spots. Now would be the obvious time to bring Austin back. She's the highest scoring player in Super Netball Reserves. Some things are bigger than sport. One of them is the fight against motor neurone disease. It was heartwarming to see Victorian netball get behind Neale Daniher's Big Freeze on the June long weekend, crossing codes to champion an AFL cause. The Vixens made their Sunday home game Big Freeze themed, selling physical beanies at the match and digital ones to those who couldn't attend. Carlton-born Liz Watson left the warmth of Queensland's Sunshine Coast behind to go down the slide at the MCG. The dress code was Australian icons, and the Diamonds captain played her part in a pink get-up, channelling Margot Robbie in the Barbie movie. Another captain, Alyssa Healy, swapped her cricket gear to appear as netball-obsessed Kath and Kim character Sharon Strzelecki — pash rash and all. It was a nice nod to Magda Szubanski, after her recent diagnosis with blood cancer. It just goes to show you what is possible when the sporting codes work together. Well done to all involved.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
2025 Super Netball Reserves live stream: Watch every game of finals and play-in tournament
Netball fans right across Australia will get a unique glimpse at the future of the sport when the Super Netball Reserves finals light up screens around the country. KommunityTV and Code Sports are joining forces with Netball Australia to broadcast every match from the Super Netball Reserves finals series from June 20-22, as well as the lead up play-in tournament. The play-in tournament will feature the Tasmania Wild, Capital Darters and Territory Storm, and will be played across three days in the week leading into the finals series. The results of the play in tournament matches will have a bearing on the finals match-ups. The Super Netball Reserves competition, which is into its second year, has expanded in 2025 with more than 40 games played across the season. The tournament features reserves sides affiliated with each Suncorp Super Netball franchise, and was developed as part of the development pathway for emerging elite netball talent. The Super Netball Reserves features athletes who are in or on the verge of Super Netball, including training partners and state league players. West Coast Fever have already booked their spot in Sunday's grand final showdown as they climbed to a unassailable lead atop the Super Netball Reserves rankings. The Fever managed to knock off rivals Swifts Academy in a one-point thriller over the weekend, securing their grand final spot. While the Fever's finals dream might be set in stone, the race to fill the spot opposite them is wide open heading into the final round of the competition this weekend. All eight Super Netball Reserves sides and the three state sides will feature in the finals series across three days of action. As part of the Code Sports/Kommunity TV partnership, the finals series and play-in matches will be live streamed for all Code Sports subscribers and for News Corp Australia digital metro subscribers.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- News.com.au
Milestone champion Courtney Bruce headlines Round 9 Super Netball team of the week
Courtney Bruce has celebrated her milestone 150th national league match with a vintage performance to push her into the team of the week for Super Netball's Code Sports round. Bruce, who has been battling back to top fitness in a frustrating year after sealing defender of the tournament honours at the 2023 World Cup, was outstanding for the Lightning, shutting down the Queensland Firebirds' chances of a derby win with her efforts on Mary Cholhok, Emily Moore and Abigail Latu-Meafou with an incredible eight gains and 13 deflections. Her former West Coast teammate Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard took honours at the other end of the court, spearheading the Fever's win over the NSW Swifts with an incredible 71-goal effort. The women often dubbed the shooting GOAT had just one miss for the evening as the Fever became the first team to beat the Swifts this season. It led to Fowler-Nembhard and centre Jordan Cransberg winning positions in the team of the week, with Diamonds captain Liz Watson, just pipping Fever wing attack Alice Teague-Neeld in her position. The Giants' gritty win over defending champions the Thunderbirds led to two of their players – goaler Sophie Dwyer and defender Erin O'Brien elbowing their way into this week's best, with the Firebirds' England midcourter Imogen Allison turning in her best performance of the season to make the side from a losing team.
