ANZ Premiership: Carys Stythe pushes Silver Ferns’ Commonwealth Games selection case, but Mystics win extra-time thriller
Sunday, 31 May 2026
Carys Stythe might have just booked her place in the Silver Ferns squad for the Commonwealth Games.
The goal keep did it all defensively for the Southern Steel in Sunday’s top of the table ANZ Premiership clash in Invercargill, but it wasn’t enough to deny the Northern Mystics a tense 61-53 win, which went to extra-time.
With Dame Noeline Taurua presenting her 12-player Games squad to the New Zealand Olympic Committee on Monday, Silver Ferns’ hopefuls had one final chance to state their case over the weekend. The Ferns squad will be publicly unveiled on June 17, following the final round of the premiership.
The Steel headed into this contest on a six-game winning run, while the Mystics had also won four straight.
In a clash, befitting of a finals encounter, the Mystics and Steel served up one of the best games of the premiership season, played at a high intensity with plenty of passion.
The Mystics pulled away in extra-time (two three-minute halves) limiting the Steel to just one goal and scoring nine themselves to silence the Stadium Southland faithful.
Stythe, a former Mystics player, was the best player on court, dictating terms in the defensive circle and making life tough for the Mystics’ shooters all game.
She finished with an impressive eight gains, eight deflections, three intercepts, and three rebounds in a performance that would have not been lost on Taurua and the national selectors.
The Steel were without their captain Kimiora Poi, who sat out the match with a calf niggle, and they could have desperately used her spark and experience in the pressure of extra-time.
This was another statement showing from the Mystics, who denied the Steel a losing bonus point in extra-time to leapfrog the Tactix on goal percentage into top spot.
The Mystics have racked up five wins on the bounce, since turning in a poor showing against the Steel in Auckland in round three.
Their strong recent play has been even more noteworthy considering they are without Silver Ferns defender Catherine Hall for the rest of the premiership with a foot injury. Hall has not played since jarring her foot late in the game against the Pulse on May 9 when she collided into the post.
In other games, the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic ended their 356-day wait for an ANZ Premiership win.
Magic players jumped about with excitement and leapt into each other’s arms at full-time after snapping their winless drought with a last gasp victory on Saturday.
Their 51-50 triumph over the Stars in Hamilton ended a run of 12 straight losses, with their previous win coming back on June 9 last year, also against the Stars.
A goal from Saviour Tui with two seconds left clinched the win and sent the Claudelands Arena crowd into a frenzy after a two point effort from Amelia Walmsley levelled the score at 50-50 with 13 seconds on the clock.
Upsets were the theme of round eight with the Central Pulse snapping a six-game losing streak with a 49-45 boilover of the Mainland Tactix in Palmerston North on Saturday.
“Oh my God, it was like we won the whole competition,” Magic coach Mary-Jane Araroa exclaimed on TVNZ.
“So exhilarating. I thought, ‘Oh no, here we go, not another extra-time’, but I’m so proud they held their own and we got across there. We did tense up a wee bit, but we got there.”
The upset win from the Magic effectively ended the Stars’ top three finals hopes, slumping to their fourth straight loss.
Magic wing defence Georgie Edgecombe produced the pivotal play late in the game, picking off a pass from Stars wing defence Abbie Leger, which Sarah Guiney scored from to put them ahead 50-48. Walmsley hit straight back for the Stars with a clutch two point shot, but a quick centre pass saw goal attack Guiney fire the ball into the attacking circle for Tui to land the decisive goal.
The Magic had been knocking on the door for an elusive win after pushing the Steel all the way in Dunedin last Saturday before losing in extra-time.
In Saturday’s later game, the Pulse handed the Tactix just their second loss of the season, prevailing 49-45.
The Pulse took a four goal lead into halftime, but in a close match throughout, were never able to break away from the Tactix.
Late in the contest, the Pulse pushed out to a seven goal buffer, but a pair of two-point goals from Amorangi Malesala in the last minute secured what could prove a crucial bonus point (loss within five goals) for the Tactix.
ANZ Premiership points
Mystics 19, Tactix 19, Steel 18, Stars 12, Pulse 8, Magic 4.