Australia Leads 2-0 as Silver Ferns Face Turmoil

Australia’s Diamonds have taken a 2-0 lead in the 2025 Constellation Cup after beating the Silver Ferns 69-52 in Melbourne and 68-51 in Sydney, leaving them one win from reclaiming the trophy as the remaining Tests move to New Zealand. The Silver Ferns’ on-court struggles are compounded by an off-court coaching dispute: Dame Noeline Taurua and other coaches have been stood down, and Taurua will remain sidelined until at least the end of the year. Mediation has failed to resolve disagreements over proposed changes to the high-performance environment, including the possible introduction of additional player-support staff such as Darren Shand and Tracey Fear. Sport Minister Mark Mitchell has urged Sport NZ/HPSNZ to intervene, and the dispute has been raised in Parliament as a factor that could affect New Zealand’s performances at home.