'Humbled us!" How Seebohm is keeping Fire focused

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Townsville Fire head coach Shannon Seebohm poured cold water on his squad's excitement about being WNBL26 favourites after their core returned from last season, winning the Townsville Tip-Off and experts — including our own Hayley Wildes — branding the 2024-25 Grand Finalists the team to beat.

UC Capitals tried as well but failed in Round 2 of WNBL26 on Saturday, October 25, 2025, copping a 35-point shellacking 105-70 in Canberra.

"We got excited about being the favourites for about 10 seconds — and then Shannon immediately humbled us!" Woods said.

"We do a really good job of keeping perspective. Winning preseason was cool, and winning our first two games is cool, but it’s a long season.

"There was a massive difference between the Bendigo game and today — it’s about choosing how we want to play and continuing to build so that by the end of the season, we’re playing really high-quality basketball."

Seebohm is keeping a tight lid on the Fire after losing the WNBL25 championship to Bendigo Spirit just seven months ago.

"(I'm) really happy. I think we’ve just got great people," Seebohm said.

"We actually have the youngest team in the league this year, so to see them gel so quickly is really pleasing.

"Obviously, we’ve got a few girls back from last year, but even the new additions — Chantel was amazing tonight, Lucy Olsen just keeps getting better and better with every game, and Lauren Cox is still working her way back from injury.

"For me, it’s also about figuring out what combinations play well together. But I’m just really pleased with the girls’ effort — we turn up every day at practice and every game, and we just play as hard as we can. That really helps."

Seebohm glowed in his praise for Chantel Horvat, who led all scorers with 20 points on 8-from-11 from the field along with nine rebounds and a block.

"She’s awesome," he declared.

"Really impressed. You saw it today — she came off the bench and made an instant impact.

"It wasn’t just scoring; it was hustle plays, rebounds, offensive boards, her ability to switch and defend multiple positions.

"She’s been fantastic and she’s a phenomenal person. I coached her once before, briefly, so it’s been cool getting to know her more now.

"She loves basketball and I think she’s really enjoying being in Townsville, which is awesome."

Key Details

• Result: Townsville Fire 105 def. UC Capitals 70
• When: 25th October 2025
• Where: AIS Arena, Canberra
• Attendance: 2,100
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Chantel Horvat (Townsville Fire) starred with 20 points, nine rebounds and one block in 23 minutes.
• Kadiatou Sissoko (UC Capitals) scored 20 points and had eight rebounds and one assist in 33 minutes.

What Happened

The Capitals established control early with a 28-21 first-quarter edge before Townsville completely broke the game open in the second period. The Fire outscored the Capitals 26-12 in the second quarter, taking a commanding 54-33 lead into halftime and never looked back, despite the Caps challenging hard in the third quarter.

The Fire's balanced attack proved too much for the Capitals to handle. Townsville had five players score in double figures, with Horvat's 20 points in 23 minutes to lead all scorers despite coming off the bench. Miela Sowah added 18 points including three triples, while captain Courtney Woods contributed a stellar all-around performance with 16 points, seven rebounds, and 14 assists.

Woods' distribution was exceptional, orchestrating the Fire's offense with precision. Her 14 assists helped Townsville shoot an outstanding 58.8 percent from the field (30-from-51) and 50 percent from beyond the arc (8-from-16). The Fire also dominated the charity stripe, converting 21-from-28 free throw attempts.

The rebounding battle heavily favored Townsville, who secured 45 boards to UC's 33. Alicia Froling and Horvat each grabbed nine rebounds for the Fire. Defensively, Townsville's 10 steals contributed to 17 Capitals turnovers, which the Fire converted into easy transition baskets throughout the contest.

For UC Capitals, Jade Melbourne added 10 points and six assists while Sara Blicavs contributed 10 points and five rebounds in the losing effort. The Capitals struggled from three-point range, connecting on just 2-from-18 attempts (11.1 percent). Despite Sissoko's efficient 20-point performance on 10-from-16 shooting, the Capitals couldn't match Townsville's offensive firepower or defensive intensity.