The challenge gets no easier in Round 5, however, with the Firebirds taking on West Coast Fever at RAC Arena on Sunday.
Fever also arrive with plenty of momentum after a dominant 77-57 win over the NSW Swifts on Easter Sunday in Sydney, a performance that lifted them to three wins from four matches in 2026 as Romelda Aiken-George exploded for a career-high 67 goals.
LAST TIME WE MET
The last meeting between the two sides was a high-scoring shootout in Perth, with the Firebirds going down 82-65 to Fever at RAC Arena. Queensland stayed in the fight throughout and at one stage cut an 11-goal halftime deficit in half late in the third quarter, but the home side responded strongly to hold control. Mary Cholhok scored 39 goals in 50 minutes, while Emily Moore and Abigail Latu-Meafou combined for six Suncorp Super Shots in an entertaining contest.
TEAM NEWS
After being an eleventh-hour omission for the GIANTS clash, Silver Ferns international Kelly Jackson returns for the Queensland Firebirds, with last round debutant Lily Gribble the player to make way after becoming Firebird No.122 by coming on late in the Round 4 win.
Fever meanwhile welcome back Olivia Wilkinson in place of training partner Sloan Burton with the goaler recovering from the pre-season ankle injury that has kept her sidelined for the first four weeks of the campaign.
KEY MATCHUP – RUBY BAKEWELL-DORAN v SASHA GLASGOW
Firebirds captain Bakewell-Doran was immense against the Giants, delivering a true captain’s knock with nine gains, three intercepts, three deflections and five rebounds in a commanding display at the defensive end.
Glasgow, meanwhile, continues to impress on her return to Fever, racking up 21 goal assists as her partnership with Aiken-George continues to flourish. If Bakewell-Doran can disrupt Glasgow’s supply and timing through the attacking third, it will go a long way towards slowing one of the competition’s most dangerous front-end combinations.
KEY STAT
Sunday’s game will be Romelda Aiken-George’s 250th national league appearance, making her just the second player to pass that mark in Australian national leagues behind former Australian Diamond Cath Cox. The Jamaican made 198 of those appearances for the Firebirds in a legendary stint that included three premierships and numerous league MVPs.
LAST WORD
“We’ll make it a good one.” — Firebirds Head Coach Kiri Wills is promising a game to remember for Aiken-George in her milestone match against her former club.
HOW TO WATCH
For fans residing in Australia, you can watch live on Foxtel, Kayo and BINGE.
