The vastly-improved Queensland Firebirds have continued their fairytale start to the Super Netball season with a clinical 67-54 win over West Coast Fever at Brisbane's Nissan Arena.
Goaler Mary Cholhok nailed 42 goals from her 49 attempts and pulled down eight rebounds on Saturday, aided in the circle by goal attack Emily Moore.
The Firebirds, who burned through four coaches in a difficult 2024 campaign in which they finished second-bottom, are now 2-0 under first-year mentor Kiri Wills.
It is the first time Queensland have won their first two games in a season since 2016.
The Fever have crashed to 0-2 for the first time since 2019, which was also the last time the perennial powerhouse outfit from Perth failed to qualify for the preliminary final.
"I'm just so lucky to be in this environment," Cholhok said.
"My teammates just back me up all the time.
"I'd been missing shots, and I hate it so much.
"It was a good performance from the girls.
"We really wanted this tonight and it's good to do it in front of the home crowd. It's amazing."
Cholhok and Moore knocked down all 19 of their shot attempts without a blemish to steer the Firebirds to a handy five-goal buffer at quarter-time.
Wing attack Macy Gardner's playmaking influence was just as pivotal in Queensland's early dominance and she continued to thrive in the second term after switching into centre, where she had the better of West Coast captain Jess Anstiss.
Towering Ugandan Cholhok added 13 more goals for the quarter, which the Firebirds dominated 20-12 to steam ahead 39-26 at halftime.
Defenders Kadie-Ann Dehaney and Fran Williams did their best to rally the Fever in the third stanza.
They managed to stem some of the bleeding but could still not prevent Queensland's advantage growing to 54-39.
Goal keeper Ruth Aryang was in everything as West Coast tried to salvage a fourth-quarter miracle, but the closest they got again was 11 goals.
