Shooting Stars net win

One game up, one game over and one win on the board – it’s the way every sports team prefers to begin a season.

Thanks to a 63–59 victory at home on Sunday, the Northern Stars are off on the right foot in the ANZ Premiership while their opponents, the Northern Mystics, are left to consult the tea leaves as to where it all went wrong.

Although a team effort was needed during a game that was nip and tuck all the way, the Stars’ star Silver Fern shooters – Martina Salmon and Amelia Walmsley – stepped up in style.

“It definitely is a great start to the season!” Walmsley told the Times. “Every game it’s crucial to put points on the board. Having such a new team meant the pressure was definitely on in pre-season to build connections, so it was a nice reward to win that first game after lots of hard work.”

Salmon and Walmsley both landed 93 per cent of their attempts on goal with 31 and 29 goals respectively.

Aside from just a few goals, belief and determination made all the difference on the night, Walmsley says.

“We are so united on what we want to achieve here, so coming into the game we were all of the same mindset. But I think the biggest difference was the fight we put up. It was a long, physical battle – we just kept calm, in control and kept chipping away.

Played at a furious pace, the first quarter ended with the Stars ahead 18–16. Shortly before halftime, the Mystics seemed certain to go into the break ahead on the boards. However,  the super shot siren spurred Salmon to net two consecutive two-pointers, cutting back the deficit to just one goal, 30–29.

While the Stars surged in the second, the Mystics kept pace, levelling the scores ahead of the final quarter. But, once again, the Stars hit top gear, defeating the Mystics for the first time since 2023.