Latest news with #Fever
Perth Now
6 minutes ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Fever destroy Swifts to secure netball grand final spot
West Coast Fever have secured a grand final berth and destroyed the confidence of the NSW Swifts in the process after posting a dominant 77-45 win in the major semi-final at RAC Arena. In a performance for the ages, West Coast led 46-20 at half-time and 60-28 late in the third quarter as the Swifts imploded in front of a bustling Green Army crowd of 11,838 in Perth. Sunday's result means the second-placed Swifts will now need to dust themselves off for next week's home preliminary final against the Melbourne Vixens, who defeated two-time defending champions Adelaide 58-56 in the minor semi-final earlier in the day. The ladder-leading Fever will enjoy a week off before featuring in the August 2 grand final at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena. Star Fever goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard finished with 65 goals from 66 attempts to go with one Super Shot, while goalkeeper Sunday Aryang was huge with seven gains and two intercepts. Swifts goal shooter Grace Nweke endured a shocker, hitting just 23 goals from 28 attempts while committing a whopping nine turnovers. The Fever's rise to the grand final is remarkable given they were 0-2 and bottom of the ladder before Fowler-Nembhard's return sparked a run of 13 straight wins - a Super Netball record. "I'm just really proud of the team," Fever coach Dan Ryan told Fox Sports. "Their performance across the 60 minutes was amazing. "To play that quality of netball under the pressure of semi-finals is just amazing." NSW opened the season with a perfect 8-0 record but limped into the finals with four losses from their last six games. With no Paige Hadley (foot) or Teigan O'Shannassy (back), the Swifts were simply no match for the Fever. Fowler-Nembhard was a dominant force in the opening quarter, nailing 20 goals to give the Fever a 20-11 lead at the first break. At the other end, Nweke was struggling. The star NZ shooter committed a whopping five turnovers to go with three penalties in the opening term. In a further blow for the Swifts, centre Verity Simmons rolled her ankle late in the quarter and had to go off for treatment. Nweke's nightmare continued early in the second term when she missed two easy shots in the space of a few minutes. By the time Simmons was able to re-enter play with eight minutes remaining in the half, the Fever already led 31-17. Nweke was benched in favour of Sophie Fawns as the Swifts desperately searched for answers. West Coast scored the last 12 goals of the second quarter to enter the long break with a 26-goal lead, meaning the second half was effectively junk time. The final margin - 32 goals - was the largest in a Super Netball semi-final.
West Australian
36 minutes ago
- Sport
- West Australian
Super Netball 2025: West Coast Fever thrash NSW Swifts to book place in grand final
A merciless West Coast Fever are on the verge of Super Netball immortality, thrashing NSW Swifts by 32 goals in a record-breaking major semifinal victory to book the first place in this year's decider. Fever are one win away from a second premiership in their history, extending their league-record winning streak to 13 games with a 77-45 victory at RAC Arena on Sunday. They will now await the winner of the preliminary final between the NSW Swifts and Melbourne Vixens next weekend to determine who they will face in this year's grand final at John Cain Arena on August 2. And it was on the back of shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard who equalled her own record for most goals in a final with 67 to send them into the biggest game of the year in front of 11,838 fans. In defence Sunday Aryang was clinical with seven gains and three deflections, while Kadie-Ann Dehaney kept prized Swifts recruit Grace Nweke to only 23 goals. New Diamond Alice Teague-Neeld was exceptional with 26 goal assists and 35 feeds, while Shanice Beckford provided plenty of nuisance value in goal attack. It took less than two minutes for Fever to get the first break in the game as the Swifts struggle to settle into the high-pressure final. Swifts centre Allie Smith was doing her best to try to rough up Fever counterpart Jordan Cransberg (22 goal assists), but she couldn't keep up with the midcourt dynamo. It took Fever only five minutes to gain a six-goal lead, forcing Swifts coach Briony Akle to call a time-out to try to compose the visitors. The crowd was silenced late in the term when former Fever star Verity Simmons went down with an ankle injury to send a scare through the Swifts camp. Fever continued to pile on the scoreboard pressure through clinical ball movement and the work of Fowler-Nembhard to lead by nine goals at the first break. NSW were their own worst enemies, coughing up eight turnovers to only three to Fever in the opening quarter. The Swifts needed everything to go right early but a pair of misses from Nweke opened the door for Fever to further take control on the scoreboard. To make matters worse for NSW, the Fever's defence began to have an influence as they started forcing turnovers and grabbing intercepts. Akle swung the changes, bringing Simmons back on into centre and the combination of Helen Housby and Sophie Fawns to try to bring them back into the game through super shots. By half-time the lead had blown out to a remarkable 26 goals, and it was not by if but by how many goals Fever would win by. The third term was a tighter tussle but Fever were still too strong defensively, as the Swifts did their best to close the gap through a series of late super goals. Fever coach Dan Ryan brought on rising star Olivia Wilkinson into goal attack to start the final term and she like her teammates had an instant impact with the first three goals. It looked as if the Swifts were going to win the last quarter until Fever hit some late super shots to ensure the crowd would go nuts and celebrate the most remarkable of victories.
Perth Now
36 minutes ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
FEVER WIN! Unstoppable West Coast into grand final
A merciless West Coast Fever are on the verge of Super Netball immortality, thrashing NSW Swifts by 32 goals in a record-breaking major semifinal victory to book the first place in this year's decider. Fever are one win away from a second premiership in their history, extending their league-record winning streak to 13 games with a 77-45 victory at RAC Arena on Sunday. They will now await the winner of the preliminary final between the NSW Swifts and Melbourne Vixens next weekend to determine who they will face in this year's grand final at John Cain Arena on August 2. And it was on the back of shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard who equalled her own record for most goals in a final with 67 to send them into the biggest game of the year in front of 11,838 fans. In defence Sunday Aryang was clinical with seven gains and three deflections, while Kadie-Ann Dehaney kept prized Swifts recruit Grace Nweke to only 23 goals. New Diamond Alice Teague-Neeld was exceptional with 26 goal assists, while Shanice Beckford provided plenty of nuisance value in goal attack. It took less than two minutes for Fever to get the first break in the game as the Swifts struggle to settle into the high-pressure final. Swifts centre Allie Smith was doing her best to try to rough up Fever counterpart Jordan Cransberg (22 goal assists), but she couldn't keep up with the midcourt dynamo. Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard. Credit: Michael Wilson / The West Australian It took Fever only five minutes to gain a six-goal lead, forcing Swifts coach Briony Akle to call a time-out to try to compose the visitors. The crowd was silenced late in the term when former Fever star Verity Simmons went down with an ankle injury to send a scare through the Swifts camp. Fever continued to pile on the scoreboard pressure through clinical ball movement and the work of Fowler-Nembhard to lead by nine goals at the first break. NSW were their own worst enemies, coughing up eight turnovers to only three to Fever in the opening quarter. Shanice Beckford. Credit: Michael Wilson / The West Australian The Swifts needed everything to go right early but a pair of misses from Nweke opened the door for Fever to further take control on the scoreboard. To make matters worse for NSW, the Fever's defence began to have an influence as they started forcing turnovers and grabbing intercepts. Akle swung the changes, bringing Simmons back on into centre and the combination of Helen Housby and Sophie Fawns to try to bring them back into the game through super shots. By half-time the lead had blown out to a remarkable 26 goals, and it was not by if but by how many goals Fever would win by. Alice Teague-Neeld. Credit: Michael Wilson / The West Australian The third term was a tighter tussle but Fever were still too strong defensively, as the Swifts did their best to close the gap through a series of late super goals. Fever coach Dan Ryan brought on rising star Olivia Wilkinson into goal attack to start the final term and she like her teammates had an instant impact with the first three goals. It looked as if the Swifts were going to win the last quarter until Fever hit some late super shots to ensure the crowd would go nuts and celebrate the most remarkable of victories.
The Herald Scotland
4 hours ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
2025 WNBA All-Star Game: How to watch Team Clark vs. Collier
"I will still be at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for all the action and I'm looking forward to helping Sandy (Liberty coach Brondello) coach our team to a win," Clark announced on Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, who Clark drafted to her All-Star team alongside Fever center Aliyah Boston, said, "Caitlin is going to be Caitlin guys, trust me." Mitchel added, "She is going to be coaching. You will definitely see the competitive nature. But her body deserves what it deserves, from a break standpoint." 2025 WNBA ALL-STAR FRIDAY RESULTS: Sabrina Ionescu wins 3-point contest; Liberty sweep Get ready for the game to be faster and flashier. Four special rules will be in play for "added entertainment and an enhanced pace of play," including a 4-point shot deep from the logo and live-play substitutions similar to hockey. Here's everything you need to know about the 2025 WNBA All-Star game: When is the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game? The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game between Team Clark and Team Collier tips off at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and will be broadcast nationally on ABC. How to watch 2025 WNBA All-Star Game All-Star weekend concludes Saturday with the marquee event, a showdown between Team Clark and Team Collier. Date: Saturday, July 19 Saturday, July 19 Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis) Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis) Time : 8:30 p.m. ET : 8:30 p.m. ET TV: ABC ABC Streaming: ESPN+, Disney+, Fubo, Sling Caitlin Clark: WNBA All-Star break needs to be longer WNBA All-Star team captains Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier are both prioritizing fun in the 2025 WNBA All-Star game, which caps off the first-ever All-Star weekend in Indianapolis on Saturday. The second half of the season promptly starts on Tuesday, offering All-Stars little to no time to regroup and recover from the festivities. "We joke about winning but at the end of the day, it's not that serious. We're going to have a fun time," coach Clark said ahead of the game. Collier added, "I wasn't telling (my team) anything about preparing for the game. We were preparing to be on 'StudBudz'... This is supposed to be our break. We all play Tuesday." Last year, WNBA teams got nearly a month off after the 2024 All-Star game between Team WNBA and the U.S. women's national basketball team to accommodate for the 2024 Paris Olympics. With no Olympics on the schedule for this year, the All-Star 'break' is less than a week. The Indiana Fever, for example, played their last game on Wednesday and will open the second half of the season against the New York Liberty on Tuesday. "We would appreciate a longer break," Clark added. Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier were asked about getting their teams ready after everyone has been seen out late more than usual. "What makes you think we don't do that normally" - Caitlin ???? — No Cap Space WBB (@NoCapSpaceWBB) July 19, 2025 Caitlin Clark is in the building. Clark, who is set to captain her All-Star team alongside New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello, arrived to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday wearing a black blazer over a Prada shirt. She paired the look with a pair of black shorts and pumps. Arrivals started pouring in ahead of game time. USA TODAY Sports is tracking every fashionable entrance here. No. Clark will not participate in the All-Star Game due to a right groin injury. She also sat out of the 3-point contest on Friday. "I am incredibly sad and disappointed to say I can't participate in the 3-Point contest or the All-Star Game. I have to rest my body." Clark said. "I will still be at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for all the action and I'm looking forward to helping Sandy (Liberty coach Brondello) coach our team to a win." The 2025 WNBA All-Star game features six players making their All-Star debut: Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (Team Collier) Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams (Team Clark) Golden State Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton (Team Clark) Washington Mystics guard Brittney Sykes (Team Clark) Washington Mystics forward Kiki Iriafen (Team Clark) Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron (Team Clark) Clark didn't appear to have much of a strategy heading into the WNBA All-Star draft, saying, "I'm going on vibes. I'm picking whatever comes to mind. We're just having fun. My team is going to be fun. You get to be in front of the home crowd in Indianapolis." However, Clark had a game plan to select her teammates. She'll now help coach her team after being ruled out (right groin). Starters Aliyah Boston, Center, Indiana Fever Sabrina Ionescu, Guard, New York Liberty A'ja Wilson, Forward, Las Vegas Aces * Kelsey Mitchell, Guard, Indiana Fever * Jackie Young, guard, Las Vegas Aces *Selected to replace Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally in the starting lineup Reserves Brionna Jones, Forward, Atlanta Dream Brittney Sykes, Guard, Washington Mystics Gabby Williams, forward, Seattle Storm Sonia Citron, Guard, Washington Mystics Kiki Iriafen, Forward, Washington Mystics Kayla Thornton, Forward, Golden State Valkyries Napheesa Collier had a clear cut strategy heading into the draft -- shoot for current and former teammates. "I feel like got to try to get some of my (Unrivaled) Owls girls on here and got to try to get some of my (UConn) Huskies girls on here, so I've got an agenda," Collier said during the 2025 WNBA All-Star draft show. Starters Napheesa Collier, Forward, Minnesota Lynx Breanna Stewart, Forward, New York Liberty Allisha Gray, Guard, Atlanta Dream Nneka Ogwumike, Forward Seattle Storm Paige Bueckers, Guard, Dallas Wings Reserves Courtney Williams, guard, Minnesota Lynx Skylar Diggins, Guard, Seattle Storm Angel Reese, forward, Chicago Sky Alyssa Thomas, Forward, Phoenix Mercury Kelsey Plum, guard, Los Angeles Sparks Kayla McBride, guard, Minnesota Lynx Replaced Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard On Wednesday, the WNBA announced four special rules will be in play at the All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to provide "added entertainment and an enhanced pace of play" for one night only on Saturday. The changes include a four-point shot deep from the logo and live-play substitutions similar to hockey. AT&T 4-Point shot: Each player will have the opportunity to score four points by shooting at a designated "AT&T 4-Point Shot" area on the court, made up of four circles placed 28-feet from the rim, six feet further than the 3-point line. Each player will have the opportunity to score four points by shooting at a designated "AT&T 4-Point Shot" area on the court, made up of four circles placed 28-feet from the rim, six feet further than the 3-point line. Live-play substitutions: Team's will be allowed to make hockey-like player substitutions while the ball is in play, but only under certain conditions. The team on offense is the only one permitted to make a live-play substitution and only one player is allowed per possession. Team's will be allowed to make hockey-like player substitutions while the ball is in play, but only under certain conditions. The team on offense is the only one permitted to make a live-play substitution and only one player is allowed per possession. 20-second shot clock: The shot clock will be shortened from 24 to 20 seconds. Following an offensive rebound, the shot clock will be reset to 14 seconds. The shot clock will be shortened from 24 to 20 seconds. Following an offensive rebound, the shot clock will be reset to 14 seconds. No free throws: Anytime a player is required to shoot a free throw, they will "automatically be credited with the maximum available point(s) given the situation," the league explained. Free throws will only be in play in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and in overtime. New York Liberty superstar Sabrina Ionescu remains the queen of the WNBA All-Star 3-point contest. Ionescu, who holds the 3-point competition record in both the WNBA or NBA after scoring 37 of 40 points in 2023, took down defending champion Allisha Gray of the Atlanta Dream Friday night in the 3-point contest final with a score of 30 points. Ionescu became just the second WNBA player to win the 3-point contest multiple times, joining four-time winner Allie Quigley. "It means everything. The last time I was here in (Indianapolis) against Steph (Curry), I lost, so I feel like I had to come back and redeem myself," Ionescu said, referring to the first-ever NBA vs. WNBA 3-point challenge during the 2024 NBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis, where she went head-to-head with Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry. "I feel like we put on a great show." The 2025 WNBA Skills Challenge came down to the final second ... literally. New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud finished the obstacle course with 1.1 seconds to spare, narrowly defeating Seattle Storm guard Erica Wheeler for the title. Cloud becomes the second Liberty player to win the skills challenge, following Sabrina Ionescu's win in 2022. Cloud said she's going to use her $55K prize money from Aflac to put a down payment on a house with her girlfriend, Liberty teammate Isabelle Harrison. "(Harrison) told me to go win this money for a home and that's what it's going down too," Cloud said after her win. "I'm really grateful for where our journey's have brought us and our career have brought us. This is just the next step. It's going be money well spent." The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news -- fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Indianapolis Star
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
'You guys made it special.' Fever players not surprised Indy showed WNBA fans so much love during All-Star Weekend
INDIANAPOLIS – The Boston family group chat has been buzzing the past few days. Cleone and Algernon Boston — parents of Indiana Fever forward and WNBA All-Star Aliyah Boston — were in town for this weekend's WNBA All-Star Game. And every time Cleone saw a massive photo, advertisement or any sort of promotional material involving her daughter, she made sure to send it to the family group chat. "They loved it," Aliyah smiled. "(And) it was great having them in town for a little bit." The past week has showcased what Fever players and Indiana natives have long known: This state loves its basketball and when it comes to hosting massive sporting events, very few can do it better. The scene Saturday night was incredible with Gainbridge Fieldhouse packed to the rafters and the sold-out crowd of 16,988 fully engaged, maintaining its energy from start to finish of Team Caitlin Clark's 119-95 loss to Team Napheesa Collier. "That was special. That was really, really special," said Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, who led Team Clark with 20 points. "You guys made it special. I think everybody played a big part in making this weekend what it was supposed to be. Shout out to the city of Indianapolis for putting on a great show for everybody and hopefully the players from the W, from the other teams, enjoyed themselves." "Honestly, I'm not surprised," Boston added. "Anything that has to do with basketball and sports in general, Indy shows out and they get loud. They filled that arena tonight and let those athletes know they really support them." To Boston's point, it wasn't just the Fever players who felt the love. New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu drew raucous ovations every time she was shown during Friday's skills competition, and there were roars from the crowd with the introduction of each all-star on Saturday — including Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, who got some of the loudest cheers of the night. "The weekend has been absolutely incredible," team captain and Fever guard Caitlin Clark said. "I hope every player in this league, whether you're participating in the game tonight or were in the 3-point competition and skills competition or were just here to enjoy All-Star weekend, I hope they felt the same and felt the love from the city." The support shown this weekend in Indianapolis has become the standard for Fever fans and increasingly across the league. Asked if she's used to the new standard the league has established in terms of support and attendance, Mitchell replied simply: No. "And here's why, I see a new celebrity that day I watched on TV growing up at the game every day now. So I'm just like, what is happening?" she continued. "People want to see what women's basketball looks like at the highest level and we as the players want to provide a good product. And the idea is that you want people to keep packing this place in — but I'll never get used to it. Ever."
