KEY POINTS:
Has Daneka Wipiiti finally found her groove?
New Zealand netball's flickering star is playing with new confidence and poise since moving to the deep south - no more obvious than in the Sting's obliteration of the Magic on Saturday.
Wipiiti trusted her instincts and, with immaculate feeding from Donna Wilkins (Loffhagen) and Silver Ferns captain Adine Wilson, she shot the Sting to a 21-goal victory.
At 1.94m she's the tallest player in the National Bank Cup and loaded with natural talent, but her career has been rocky.
A Silver Fern at 19, she was touted as the next great shooting star, and was part of the Commonwealth Games team who won silver in 2002. Then within the space of two years, she pulled out of three New Zealand training camps, and seemingly burned her bridges. She says she was too young and didn't understand the responsibility at the time, but late last year earned an invitation to train with the Silver Ferns again.
Moving to Southland appears to be another step in the right direction for the 23-year-old, who wants to play at this year's world championships.
Sting coach Robyn Broughton said Wipiiti has fitted in perfectly with her side, and in particular the tough-nut veteran Wilkins.
"I watch her at training and think, 'Daneka, has anyone ever seen you smile so much before?"' she said.
"We want to nurture her and understand her. I tell her she can't retreat into herself, and I'll never take her off the court unless she's injured - because I think she should dig herself out of a hole if she gets into one.
"She has a personal connection with Donna, which doesn't always happen, and I think Adine and Donna must take a lot of the credit for the way Daneka has come on."
Wipiiti took the lion's share of shots for the Sting (44 from 59) and although not the most accurate, she scored when the heat was on. Broughton also believes that Wilkins, who played eight years for the Silver Ferns, deserves an international call-back to bolster the New Zealand attack. "I don't know whether they would take her, but I think they should. I hear her say she is available, so why not?"
