The Adelaide Thunderbirds have spoiled Romelda Aiken-George's return to South Australia, with her replacement Elmere van der Berg steering the home side to a 66-53 victory against the West Coast Fever.
Aiken-George faced the team she claimed the 2024 Super Netball premiership with for the first time on Saturday night at the Adelaide Convention Centre, after coming out of retirement to play for the Fever.
How she would deal with the Thunderbirds, hot off a rousing 74-54 demolition of the NSW Swifts, was a big talking point, and at first she struggled, missing an uncharacteristic seven shots in the opening quarter.
Although the Jamaican (29 points) settled, it was her good friend Shamera Sterling-Humphrey who provided the pressure to stop Aiken-George from inflicting further pain.
The 30-year-old's three intercepts and two rebounds were the difference, and her efforts were complemented by South African superstar van der Berg, who netted an equal club-record 59 points from 63 shots.
"After having a baby (in October), I'm just building and building into this season, and I'm looking forward to more to come," Sterling-Humphrey told Fox Sports.
"When we (she and Aiken-George) were on the same team, we were always fighting in training, and it wasn't any different today."
After breaking their goal-scoring record in her debut last round, van der Berg found herself on the receiving end of much of the Thunderbirds' offensive traffic.
Most of it came from Diamond star Georgie Horjus, who outlined why she should be included in the Australian squad for this year's Commonwealth Games, making 48 feeds and 37 goal assists.
Conceding 23 turnovers cruelled the injury-hit Fever's chances of claiming a second straight victory, although workhorse Alice Teague-Neeld was inspirational with 48 feeds and 14 goal assists.
Englishwoman Sasha Glasgow also netted six super shots for the visitors.
Both teams made a fast start to the game and the Fever took a one-point lead into quarter-time after some sharp feeds from Teague-Neeld and Jordan Cransberg.
After coughing up plenty of penalties in the opening period, the Thunderbirds' defence flicked a switch, grabbing a flurry of turnovers to surge to a 32-27 lead at halftime.
Defenders Latanya Wilson and Sterling-Humphrey snared crucial intercepts and rebounds to balloon Adelaide's advantage to double digits, which the West Australian side couldn't pin back.
