The Silver Ferns defeated Australia’s Diamonds 61-43 in Perth, securing the Constellation Cup for only the third time.
This victory marks the first time since 2006 that the Silver Ferns have won three consecutive games against Australia.
New Zealand had already stunned the world champions with two impressive wins at home, but playing in Australia was expected to be more challenging. After a close first half, the Silver Ferns pulled away, taking a 28-26 lead by halftime and dominating the third quarter 18-9.
Australian coach Stacey Marinkovich made several lineup changes during the game, including benching captain Liz Watson for the second time this series. New Zealand, however, stuck with the same starting seven players who had performed well in earlier matches. Wing attack Kimiora Poi overcame a slow start, helping her team build rhythm as the match progressed.
Kate Heffernan was named MVP for her strong performance in defence, contributing key passes to Grace Nweke, who scored an impressive 47 goals at 94% accuracy.
This win completes a remarkable turnaround for the Silver Ferns, who had lost a series to England just three weeks earlier and dropped to third in the world rankings. With a 3-0 lead in the series, the Silver Ferns now have the chance to sweep the Constellation Cup for the first time ever when they play the final test in Melbourne on Wednesday.
