Source: Radio New Zealand
Stars wing attack Claire O’Brien provided great service to her shooters. Blake Armstrong
The Stars have bounced back from a disappointing loss to win their round three ANZ Premiership match against the Pulse and demonstrate their attacking prowess.
The Stars won 59-55 in Wellington but a fight back from the Pulse late in the final quarter saw them secure their second bonus point.
The Stars were coming off a 60-69 loss to the Steel in Invercargill, where a second quarter 7-21 meltdown cost them the game.
This afternoon in Pulse territory, the Stars inflicted a similar quarter on their opponent.
The Pulse led 30-29 at half-time but the Stars claimed the third quarter 18-8 to put the home side squarely on the back-foot.
The only change to the Stars line-up was made during the second quarter when Amelia Walmsley went out to goal attack and Martina Salmon to goal shoot.
Heading into the last five minutes of the game, the Pulse were down by nine goals but got themselves inside bonus point territory thanks to two super shots and a couple of turnovers.
Stars defender Kate Burley. PHOTOSPORT
Going into the match the Stars had the best attacking record, but the worst defensive record.
But defender Kate Burley had a strong game with one intercept and six deflections.
Salmon and Walmsley put out another well balanced shooting performance, scoring 32 and 25 respectively at 93 percent and were fed expertly by Claire O’Brien and Mila Reuelu-Buchanan.
For the Pulse, South Africa import Ine-Mari Venter put up 37 shots, and Ameliaranne Ekenasio 14 with a combined accuracy of 82 percent.
Pulse co-captain Parris Mason threw herself at several half-chances to come up with some valuable ball on defence.
The Stars have won two of three games to now sit second on the ladder, with the Pulse third.
The Stars announced during the week that defender Lili Tokaduadua will miss the remainder of the season after scans confirmed she suffered an ACL rupture during their round two match.
Leana de Bruin made brief return to elite netball in 2022. © Photosport Ltd 2019 www.photosport.nz
At 48 years old, assistant coach Leana de Bruin was named on the bench while a permanent replacement for Tokaduadua is finalised.
It was a bold call when you consider that the oldest member of the Stars is Salmon Nathan at 33.
But the Silver Fern centurion did not take the court, nor did she last year when she was named as injury cover for a game.
De Bruin did take the court twice as a replacement player in 2022 at the age of 44.
Stars coach Temepara Bailey has more reinforcements to come, with Greer Sinclair still to return to court.
The talented wing defence continues to work through her return to play plan from a knee injury that saw her miss nearly the entire 2025 season.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand