Khao Watts didn't lose much sleep coming up against her home state at Tauranga's TECT Arena on Saturday - and then quickly underlined her new Kiwi connection by pledging allegiance to Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic beyond this season.
Watts was a non-stop dynamo as Magic jumped to the top of the transtasman netball league, toppling the league-leading Adelaide Thunderbirds from top spot with a 17-goal thrashing few predicted.
Thunderbirds held top spot on goal difference going into the key round 13 matchup but were hammered by a rampant Magic who grabbed a handy 15-11 lead at quarter-time and rammed home the advantage, cruising to a 59-42 victory in front of a sellout 3000-strong crowd.
It was a record-equalling eighth win in a row and momentarily puts Magic in top spot above the Thunderbirds, Melbourne Vixens and Northern Mystics on goal percentage.
After four losses blighted the start of their campaign, coach Noeline Taurua was smiling after another win virtually sealed their participation in the playoffs ahead of next week's clash with the Queensland Firebirds in Hamilton.
Magic were irrepressible, exerting huge pressure through midcourt maestro Laura Langman, with transplanted South Australian Watts also a dominant feature feeding shooters Irene van Dyk, who turned 40 last week, and the fast-improving Julianna Naoupu.
Van Dyk hit 41 from 42 attempts and Naoupu 18 from 23, with both in a contest as Thunderbirds defenders Sharni Layton and Rebecca Bulley threw everything but the goalpost at the pair with Adelaide's distinctive tight man-on-man marking.
Casey Williams and Leana de Bruin were feisty in the defensive circle, containing former Jamaican international Carla Borrego expertly despite Williams struggling with an injury to her left foot, adding to the right ankle issues she's been nursing all season.
Adelaide had injury issues of their own, with international centre Natalie von Bertouch getting treatment in the third quarter for a dislocated finger and not returning after the break, with Magic up 39-25.
Magic ran away with the quarter by an incredible 18 goals to 7, and even though the Thunderbirds reeled off three straight goals to start the fourth quarter they were shut out.
Watts paid her own way over to trial for Magic and said the fact she was coming up against players from her home state (she was born in Millicent, a small town 400km south of Adelaide) had hardly crossed her mind, despite playing alongside a handful of Saturday's opponents in the Aussie national league.
"I've never played for Thunderbirds so it wasn't really an issue, and I love the Magic and go into every game, no matter who it is against, with the same attitude," the wing attack said. "As a young netballer in South Australia the Thunderbirds are the team you grow up watching, just as young players from here grow up with the Magic, but there was certainly no mixed emotions today."
Some players like to stay in touch with the scoreboard while others are so caught up in what's happening on court the score becomes inconsequential. Watts admitted she stole the odd glance at the TECT Arena scoreboard and felt something was awry.
"The score just ballooned at one stage and it was actually a bit of a shock. The Thunderbirds are a quality side, stacked with internationals, but what happened out there was a credit to Noels and our execution of her plan."
Watts and Langman fired in some bullet-like passes to their shooter, although Watts wasn't completely satisfied. "A couple of times I was kicking myself, saying: 'Get yourself together Khao,' but I suppose that's just learning to keep my head in the game and stick to the plan."
Taurua is a big believer in momentum, which her side clearly have, with the possibility Magic could finish on top of the table at the conclusion of round-robin a huge motivator.
"Wouldn't that be a fairytale story? We'd be the first ones laughing about it if it actually happened but we're not getting carried away because it can just as easily swing the other way."
Adelaide visibly tired nearing halftime on Saturday after a short week and travel. Taurua's side were good enough to capitalise.
"Being ruthless is something we've talked about and when the Thunderbirds' energy levels dropped they tired quite quickly. It's then we had to get a lead up, maintaining a balance between pushing slowly and then pushing quite hard."
Result: Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic 59 (Irene van Dyk 41/42, Julianna Naoupu 18/23) Adelaide Thunderbirds 42 (Carla Borrego 27/29, Erin Bell 15/20). 1Q: 15-11, HT: 27-21, 3Q: 45-28.
The Northern Mystics are back on top of the ladder, but are still looking shaky on the top rung after a patchy 64-55 win against the Canterbury Tactix last night.
Although the scoreline was convincing, the Mystics' form was not always so.
The nine-goal win continued a weekend of one-sided scorelines with the Magic leapfrogging into second place, setting New Zealand teams up for a potential one-two finish in the league.
The Central Pulse could do their fellow North Island sides a favour tonight by getting over the Melbourne Vixens.
The NSW Swifts outclassed the Southern Steel 55-42 and the Queensland Firebirds are back in with a sniff of a play-offs spot after a convincing 63-43 win over the Fever in Brisbane.