There seems to be no stopping West Coast Fever since the return of their towering talisman, Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, as she led her side to a hard-fought 67–61 win over defending champions Adelaide Thunderbirds in an intense Suncorp Super Netball League clash at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday.

Fowler-Nembhard again showed why she remains a force to reckon with, as she scored 53 goals from 55 attempts, supported in the shooting circle by fellow Jamaican Shanice Beckford, who chipped in with nine from 12, and rising star Olivia Wilkinson, who added five from six in her third-quarter cameo.

The win marks Fever’s fourth consecutive victory, a surge that has propelled them to second on the table with 16 points, just behind the ladder leaders, NSW Swifts, on 20 points. The Thunderbirds, who suffered their third defeat of the season and slipped to fourth on 12 points.

Shanice Beckford (right) of West Coast Fever attempts a pass under pressure. (Photos: Getty Images)

For the Thunderbirds, Romelda Aiken-George put up a strong showing with 32 goals from 35 attempts, while Georgie Horjus was deadly from distance, as she scored five of seven super shots to keep her team in touch. Lauren Frew added 14 goals, including four from the two-point arc, but it was not enough to overturn the Fever’s relentless momentum.

The opening quarter was a tight tactical battle, as it took more than seven minutes for the scoreboard to light up. Fever broke the deadlock and gradually took control, with Kadie-Ann Dehaney proving disruptive in defence and Jordan Cransberg energizing the midcourt with her speed and vision. Cransberg, who later earned Player of the Match honours, recorded 20 assists and two intercepts, alongside three gains, as she dictated play through the centre.

By the first break, Fever had carved out a five-goal cushion at 19-14, with consistent one-point scoring contrasting the Thunderbirds' reliance on the Power Five to stay in contention.

The Thunderbirds came alive in the second quarter, ignited by a Matilda Garrett intercept and the introduction of Latanya Wilson at goalkeeper. That defensive switch, paired with Horjus at goal attack, allowed Adelaide to claw back momentum, and they edged the quarter 19–16 to reduce the deficit to just two, 33–35, at halftime.

But any hopes of a Thunderbirds surge were swiftly shut down in the third, as Fever raised their intensity and capitalised on turnovers and a shaky restart from the hosts. Wilkinson’s entry at goal attack added flair, while Fowler-Nembhard kept converting with metronomic consistency.

In fact, Fever went on a seven-goal run to build a 12-point lead, and despite a couple of late super shots from Frew, the damage was done, as the quarter ended 53–43 in Fever’s favour.

From there, it should have been a matter of containment for the Fever in the final quarter, but the Thunderbirds were not intent on rolling over and produced a rally in the final term. Horjus remained a long-range threat, and her flurry of late super shots brought the home crowd to life.

A held ball by Fever offered a glimmer of hope, and when Horjus struck again with two minutes to go, the Thunderbirds closed the gap to just three. But Dan Ryan's Fever remained composed and regrouped after a final timeout to see out the contest and claim another important win on the road.