Flames rookie heats up to spark Canberra demolition

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Sydney Flames coach Renae Garlepp says it feels like injury replacement player Jessica McDowell-White has been with the team "all year" after the guard sparked a 91-61 win over the UC Capitals at AIS Arena with a career-high 17 points.

In her first WNBL season not playing as a development player, McDowell-White joined the Flames following a championship season in New Zealand and hasn't missed a beat, providing Garlepp and Sydney with a much-needed additional offensive weapon to help the team snap a five-game losing streak against the undermanned Capitals.

McDowell-White didn't miss, going 7-from-7 from the field, including nine points in the first half as the Flames put in their best performance of the season.

"Honestly, it feels like Jess has been here all year and that's that's a credit to her on and off the court," Garlepp said in the post-game press conference.

"She's a great person, but you know, I've really enjoyed watching Jess play over the years and it's just really cool to see her get this opportunity with us and we needed it and it's really cool to see she's just taken it with two hands and the girls love playing with her and what a game today.

"It was awesome."

McDowell-White, who's sister Hayley is a development player with the Bendigo Spirit, said she had been trying to find her chemistry with the team in only her third game with the Flames.

"But I think (it's just been about) being confident and being aggressive on both ends of the floor and just like letting the game come to me."

After almost pulling off an upset against the Townsville Fire before Christmas and recording her first win as a WNBL coach, Garlepp said she was just happy for her group after weeks of hard work.

"Really happy with the way we came out in the first half. Our intensity on defensce and just kind of how we moved the ball and played together on offense... Really thrilled for the girls to get a win.

"We felt like it was slowly breaking through in the past couple of games, finally got got it all together today.

"We've been really trying to build our intensity on defence and how we kind of take care of the ball and use more of the shot clock to get better shots and I think over the last few weeks, the girls have done a really good job and buying into that.

"I'm just thrilled that everyone was rewarded today for a big win for a lot of hard work that's gone into it."

With the Capitals missing a chance to extend their advantage in the fourth and final playoffs spot, especially without injured stars Jade Melbourne and Sara Blicavs as well as losing Tahlia Tupaea four minutes in with concussion, coach Paul Goriss did not take it easy on his team post game.

"I thought we came out very slow, very soft and lacked toughness in the first half," he said.

"That's where it sat is like having a nine-point quarter to start the game wasn't good enough. Obviously, Tahlia coming in and then getting like concussion and then having to like rotate people through and we're down on numbers.

"But we're not going to make excuses, but that wasn't Cap's basketball tonight.

"To me, there's not many positives when you lose by 30."

Match Report

Sydney Flames demolished UC Capitals 91-61 at AIS Arena on Friday night behind Jessica McDowell-White's 17 points in a comprehensive team performance that saw the Flames lead for 37 minutes of the contest.

Key Details

• Result: Sydney Flames 91 def. UC Capitals 61
• When: Friday, December 27, 2025
• Where: AIS Arena, Canberra
• Attendance: 2301
• Standings: Check the latest WNBL standings

By the Numbers

• Jessica McDowell-White (Sydney Flames) starred with 17 points, four rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes.
• Nyadiew Puoch (UC Capitals) scored 14 points, and had six rebounds and two assists in 31 minutes.

What Happened

The Sydney Flames established their dominance from the opening tip, racing out to a commanding 26-9 first quarter lead. The visitors continued their relentless assault in the second period, adding another 24 points to extend their advantage to 50-25 at the main break.

UC Capitals showed some fight in the third quarter, matching Sydney's 17 points with 21 of their own, but the damage was already done as the Flames maintained their crushing 67-46 lead heading into the final period.

Sydney's balanced offensive attack proved too much for the home side to handle. Jessica McDowell-White was exceptional, shooting a perfect 4-from-4 from the field and connecting on all three of her attempts from downtown.

Her flawless shooting display epitomised the Flames' outstanding night from the field. Shaneice Swain also made a significant impact off the bench, contributing 15 points on efficient 2-from-4 shooting from the field, including three triples from seven attempts.

The Flames' superior shooting was the defining factor in this contest. Sydney shot an outstanding 69% from the field compared to UC Capitals' poor 40% clip. From beyond the arc, Sydney connected on eight-from-21 attempts (38%) while the Capitals struggled to find their range, managing just three-from-12 (25%) from deep.

The visitors also dominated the charity stripe, converting 13-from-17 free throws compared to UC Capitals' six-from-12.

Defensively, Sydney controlled the boards completely, out-rebounding their opponents 49-27. Unique Thompson led the way with 10 rebounds, while Agnes Emma-Nnopu and Lara McSpadden chipped in with eight and seven boards respectively. This rebounding dominance allowed the Flames to limit UC Capitals to single scoring opportunities while creating additional chances for themselves on the offensive end.

For the home side, Nyadiew Puoch and captain Zitina Aokuso both finished with 14 points each, but their efforts were insufficient to stem the tide. Puoch shot a solid 3-from-8 from the field and connected on two-from-three attempts from downtown, while Aokuso was efficient inside the arc, converting seven-from-15 two-point attempts.

However, the Capitals struggled with their three-point shooting as a team, managing just 25% from deep, which severely hampered their ability to mount any serious comeback attempt.