The two-time defending champion Central Pulse have had their playoff hopes dashed, despite a 55-51 win against the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic in Wellington on Sunday.
A three-goal victory for the Southern Steel against the Northern Mystics in Invercargill has pushed a top-three finish out of reach for the Pulse,with two games left to play in the regular season.
With the Pulse out of the running, a new ANZ Premiership champion will be crowned in the grand final at Spark Arena on August 8.
The 61-58 win means the Steel move ahead of the Northern Stars and Mainland Tactix on the table, but nothing is certain yet and final standings could come down to goal difference, with four teams in the running for three spots.
With the home crowd behind them, the Steel took a two-goal lead into halftime, helped by shooter George Fisher, making her first start in two games after sustaining a concussion in round 10.
Uncharacteristic errors from the Mystics were not helped by disruptive performances from goal attack Tiana Metuarau and wing defence and MVP Renee Savai'inaea, who attacked the Mystics centre pass with great success. The Mystics were never ahead in the match, and ended a five-game winning streak, though they still sit atop the ladder.
Up in Wellington, three games in seven days couldn't deter an energetic Pulse, who were able to fend off the determined Magic, the Waikato-Bay of Plenty side falling to their twelfth successive loss this season.
It was a heartbreaking way for the Wellington-based side to bow out of playoff contention and to squander hopes of three championship crowns in a row.
Magic goal defence Holly Fowler and Pulse goal shoot Aliyah Dunn vie for the ball, with the Pulse's victory not enough to stay in contention. Photo / Getty Images
This year, the Pulse have failed to find their form reminiscent of previous seasons, and have lacked the distinctive spark that helped them to both the 2019 and 2020 Premiership titles.
The loss of shooter and Silver Ferns captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio and veteran defender and former captain Katrina Rore (both to pregnancy) has been evident in the structure of the Pulse's play this season, the side never showing any real consistency.
The Wellington-based team also lost key defender Karin Burger to the Tactix and up-and-coming shooter Metuarau to the Steel — both of whom are having standout seasons with their new teams.
The absence of key players at both ends of the court has deflated the Pulse's ability to convert turnover ball and effectively have any chance of competing with what has been an incredibly high standard of play in the competition this year.
Off court, the departure of championship-winning coach Yvette McCausland-Durie at the end of last season brought yet another change to the side.
Her replacement Gail Parata certainly does not lack experience, having coached the Scottish national side for many years before returning to New Zealand to take over the Pulse.
While her inaugural season may have been disappointing for many reasons, it has also seen the emergence of some standout players — namely Maddy Gordon and Kelera Nawai.
Captain Claire Kersten, Whitney Souness and Kelly Jury have put themselves firmly into Silver Ferns contention despite the ill fortunes of their team.
There have also been moments of brilliance from the Pulse over the course of the season, namely their shock triumph over the Northern Stars back in May and last night's winning performance over the Magic.
With the playoffs firmly out of reach, the Pulse can now focus on the rebuilding process with the aim of seeing them return to their form of previous years. They could also play spoiler in the final two rounds, meeting the Mystics next Sunday in Wellington.
The second-place Steel are hotly pursued by both the Tactix and the Stars who meet in Christchurch tomorrow night, with both chasing a crucial win that would take them one step closer to the finals.
