Youngster Maddy Gordon has cemented her place among Central Pulse starters with a standout performance in their ANZ Premiership win over Northern Stars on Sunday.
The Wellington-based team smashed their rivals 63-39 in a rematch of 2019 finalists, where the Pulse won by four.
The fresh-faced 20-year-old was part of the winning side last year, yet only played one or two quarters every few games, when results and point difference allowed.
On Sunday, she was part of the starting combo at wing attack, after a rapid rise up the ranks. The first quarter was close between the two teams, with the Pulse only leading by one at the end of the opening 12 minutes.
But halfway through the second quarter, Gordon’s attacking energy and communication with shooters Aliyah Dunn and Ameliaranne Ekenasio helped the team edge ahead.
Both shooters had great accuracy stats, with Dunn slotting 44 of her 46 attempts and Ekenasio landing 19 of her 21, mostly due to the young midcourter's pinpoint feeds underneath goal. She had 19 goal assists throughout the 48 minutes, along with 24 circle feeds.
In each of the second and third quarters, the Stars only managed eight goals, while reigning champions poured on 21 in the second and 17 in the third.
The Stars defence struggled to keep up with Gordon's speed, as she whizzed from one side of the court to the other, always on the lookout for loose balls. Over the four quarters, she had seven pick-ups and gains.
Last year's runner-ups managed to bring the scoring back in the fourth quarter. The Pulse only added one more point to their lead, with coach Yvette McCausland-Durie replacing players like Gordon and Kelly Jury, so their benchwarmers got a runaround.
Gordon won Player of the Match honours, showing she's an exciting and talented player for the Pulse, and one to look out for on the Silver Ferns development squad.
The Stars have a tight turnaround, when they play Mainland Tactix on Monday night, while the Pulse don't play again until next Monday.
