The NSW Swifts remain unbeaten in Suncorp Super Netball 2025 after putting away a fast-finishing Sunshine Coast Lightning at Sippy Downs on Saturday night (70-62).
Ahead by 18 mid way through the final period, the dominant Swifts left their worst play for the last seven minutes and were made to sweat when the Queenslanders rained down some late Super Shots but by then the clock was in their favour.
Silver Ferns superstar Grace Nweke was a deserved MVP for NSW and was exceptional all evening against the competition’s leading defence.
Ahead of the Round 7 clash much was made of her battle with Diamonds defender Courtney Bruce but Nweke had all the answers, as did her shooting partner Helen Housby against Ash Ervin and Tara Hinchcliffe.
Swifts head coach Briony Akle will not have been pleased with the finish when it looked like the Lightning could pull off the greatest comeback in National League history, but cool heads prevailed to see the game out.
In another game where the Swifts made full use of their squad, Akle ran three different players in centre (Verity Simmons, Paige Hadley and Allie Smith) while youngster Grace Whyte and defender Teigan O’Shannassy continued to see significant court time
It result means the Swifts have beaten all opposition as the regular season reaches the halfway point and will remain at least two wins ahead of their closest rivals by the end of Round 7.
Inaccuracy in the attack end from the Lightning and a Sharni Lambden intercept enabled the Swifts to take a 14-9 lead before the hosts capitalised on a missed Housby Super Shot attempt to get back into the contest when Reilley Batcheldor landed one of her own.
However, when Housby stepped up again and scored from range the Queenslanders were unable to scramble and secure a goal with the last play so the Swifts took a 17-13 lead to the first break.
In a scrappy second quarter both teams were guilty of failing to convert bonus possessions but it was NSW who managed to edge themselves six ahead midway through the period.
The lead was eight a couple of minutes from halftime but when former Swift Steph Fretwell (nee Wood) – who was playing her 150th National League game – fired a Super Shot and Housby missed her next attempt it allowed Cara Koenen to put just five between the sides heading to the sheds.
The third quarter has been the Swifts’ best all season and that continued when they secured three back-to-back gains to start the period. With six minutes to go till the final break they led by nine and Lightning coach Belinda Reynolds called a timeout to stem the tide.
It didn’t have the desired effect as Swifts continued to surge, fixing their transition errors to capitalise on the fine defensive work of Lambden, Sarah Klau and Maddy Turner.
In the goal circle Nweke continued to be a pillar of strength when the Lightning defence of Bruce and Hinchcliffe pressed while Housby also made herself available to shoot when the Kiwi was marked out of play.
At the final break the Swifts led by 13. Their domination continued for most of the last period as the Lightning looked a shadow of the side that could’ve moved to within one win of the Swifts had they been at the races at Sippy Downs.
They did, however, rally as Fretwell and Koenen stormed the home side home with four unanswered Super Shots. Had the hosts not been penalised for offensive contact when the Swifts started to look shaky it could’ve really been stressful for NSW. When the visitors got their invite to regain control they never relinquished it.
Next up the Swifts welcome the reigning champion Adeliade Thunderbirds to Sydney on Saturday night.
