Shaneice Swain Leads Sydney Flames Past UC Capitals to Snap Losing Streak

The Sydney Flames snapped their three-game WNBL losing streak on Thursday night, taking down the UC Capitals 73–64 at the Quaycentre behind a sharp and composed performance from Shaneice Swain.

Returning from a back injury that sidelined her for two matches, Swain made an immediate impact. She finished with 19 points and four steals, setting the tone early and steadying the Flames whenever Canberra threatened to rally. Sydney led from the third minute and held control the rest of the way.

It was a much-needed result for the Flames, who had dropped games to Southside, Perth and Bendigo across the past fortnight. The win also served as a belated birthday gift for coach Guy Molloy, who turned 60 earlier in the week.

Alongside Swain, Unique Thompson delivered another strong outing with 19 points and nine rebounds, while Lauren Nicholson added 12 points and provided early defensive pressure that helped Sydney build momentum.

Canberra suffered their third straight defeat and now sits at the bottom of the ladder at 1-3. Turnovers proved costly, with the Capitals giving up 27 compared to Sydney’s 18.

Jade Melbourne bounced back after a quiet night in the last game, finishing with 18 points, eight rebounds and five steals. Teige Morrell added eight points and 10 rebounds, and Sara Blicavs posted 18 points in a solid offensive showing.

Capitals coach Paul Goriss admitted his side struggled to handle Sydney’s physicality and the Flames’ ability to find key plays at crucial moments.

The Flames built a three-point lead after the first quarter before opening the second term with a 9–2 run. Canberra worked their way back to trail 31–26 at half-time, but Swain changed the game after the break, scoring 10 points in the third quarter to push the lead to 14.

Sydney opened the final period with an 8–0 run, and while Melbourne led a late Canberra push to cut the margin to seven, the Flames stayed composed to close out the win.

Sydney now travels to South Australia to face the Adelaide Lightning on Sunday.

Final score: Sydney Flames 73 defeated UC Capitals 64.