'All Fired Up': Townsville cooks 10th win on Flames

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It was close until it wasn't. Townsville Fire powered past the Sydney Flames with a dominant second-half performance, turning a tight contest into a commanding 19-point road win at Quaycentre.

The Flames were competitive early and trailed by just eight points at halftime, 55–47, after an even first half that featured 17 lead changes. However, Townsville seized full control after the break, outscoring Sydney 18–10 in the third quarter and never allowing the Flames to recover. The Fire extended the margin to as many as 22 points and finished the game on their terms, leading for 29 minutes and 23 seconds overall.

Townsville’s perimeter shooting was the decisive factor. The Fire knocked down 11 three-pointers on 23 attempts, shooting 47.8 percent from beyond the arc, compared to just five makes on 20 attempts for Sydney. That outside efficiency consistently punished Sydney’s defensive rotations and opened the floor for interior scoring and offensive rebounding.

Miela Sowah led Townsville with 20 points in a full 40-minute performance, connecting on five of nine three-point attempts and going a perfect five-for-five from the free-throw line. Alexandra Fowler added 18 points and seven rebounds, while Lauren Cox delivered a strong interior showing with 16 points, eight rebounds and a physical presence at the rim. Abbey Ellis contributed 15 points and five rebounds, and Lucy Olsen chipped in 10 points and four assists as Townsville placed five starters in double figures.

Sydney’s most consistent offensive threat was Unique Thompson, who finished with 22 points and nine rebounds while shooting nine-for-14 from the field. Keely Froling provided 16 points and six rebounds and was flawless at the free-throw line, going six-for-six.

Jessica McDowell-White, who signed with the Flames as a replacement player earlier in the week, scored nine points, while Lara McSpadden added eight points in limited minutes on perfect shooting.

Despite shooting 78.9 percent from the free-throw line, Sydney struggled to generate reliable perimeter scoring and finished the game shooting just 25 percent from three-point range. The Flames also managed only nine assists as Townsville’s defensive pressure disrupted ball movement and forced tougher shot selection late in the shot clock.

On the glass, Townsville held a 44–36 rebounding advantage and matched Sydney’s physicality while maintaining superior spacing and ball movement. Both teams finished with similar turnover numbers, but Townsville’s ability to convert from the perimeter and sustain scoring runs proved decisive.

The result reinforced Townsville Fire’s status as one of the WNBL’s most complete teams, while Sydney was left searching for answers after another second-half fade against elite opposition.

Key Details

• ‍WNBL Box Score: Townsville Fire 93, Sydney Flames 74 (Final)‍‍
• Where: Quaycentre, Sydney
• When: Saturday, December 20, 2025
• Standings

Scoring by Quarter

• Sydney Flames scored 25 points in the first quarter, 22 in the second, 10 in the third and 17 in the fourth for a total of 74 points.
• Townsville Fire scored 24 points in the first quarter, 31 in the second, 18 in the third and 20 in the fourth for a total of 93 points.