The loss comes as a surprise as the Blaze hand the Sparks their first win of the season, after losing their first seven matches of 2022.

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It was an unexpected heartbreaker with how strongly the Blaze had been performing in recent weeks.

The games were opened with a traditional Smoking Ceremony attended by First Nations Blaze Representatives Tegan Holland, Renee Dunn and Mia Evens.

The players wore a First Nations Training Jersey designed by Aboriginal Artist Lani Balzan.

The Blaze started the match strong, coming out of the gates firing on all cylinders.

At the end of the first quarter the South Coast girls led 18-12.

Coming into the second the Blaze continued their strong play with Aisha Bower playing strong defense, securing a number of critical intercepts.

However tragedy struck the team when WA Abbey McFadden fell heavily with a suspected knee injury.

The Blaze appeared a little shaken from this event as they limped to halftime nursing a two-point lead, 31-29.

The Sparks came out of halftime a rejuvenated team, quickly evening the scores between the two sides.

Blaze GA Shelby Mallon showcased some fantastic aerial work but a late surge by the Sparks saw a seven goal turnaround, with the Blaze's opposition taking a 47-42 lead heading into the fourth.

The defense for the Blaze had some strong moments throughout the fourth quarter, but the absence of McFadden and Club Captain Taylah Davies really took a toll on the girls as they entered the final minutes of play.

Sparks continued to execute in the final frame, extending their lead to 12 and coming away with a 67-55 win at full time.

The Blaze continue to hold down fourth place with a record of 5-3 but the Panthers, Sapphires and Stingrays are all knocking on the door each with a record of 4-4.

They'll need to bounce back next week against the Sutherland Stingrays if they hope to lock up a top spot.

The U23's South Coast Blaze continued their run of dominance with a strong win.

While it was a first vs third matchup against the Sparks, the game never appeared in reach for the Blaze's opponent as they dominated from the jump.

The Blaze's attack was strong and calculated while their smothering defense keeping the Sparks flustered and frustrated.

They won every single quarter and were able to continually build on their lead to take home the strong victory 61-38 and maintain their grip on the rest of the league in first place.