Back-to-back silver glory

Despite falling short in their quest for a first-ever Commonwealth Games gold medal, Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls head coach Sasher-Gaye Henry-Wright says she is proud of her team’s achievement after securing a second consecutive silver medal in Glasgow, Scotland.

The Sunshine Girls, who made history by winning back-to-back silver medals at the Games for the first time, were beaten 56-48 by New Zealand in yesterday’s final.

Although disappointed with the result, Henry-Wright praised her players for reaching another gold medal match, noting that the programme continues to move in the right direction.

“I think it is a big achievement for us because the ladies really worked to put themselves in a gold medal match,” said Henry-Wright. “We didn’t achieve the result that we wanted but it is a work in progress and we can only try to build on what we have started.”

She added: “I think the programme is growing and I want to thank all our sponsors. But there are so many things lacking in our programme that we will want to continue to build and grow. We just hope to get more persons on board to push through that hurdle for World Cup 2027.”

Henry-Wright admitted the players were disappointed not to claim gold but said they were still pleased with what they had accomplished, especially after entering the tournament as outsiders.

“I think the girls are ecstatic about this silver medal because they have believed in themselves from day one. They definitely wanted the gold medal, but they are pretty pleased with their performance because they knew we were not one of the favourites going in. So they are excited about this silver medal.”

The Sunshine Girls struggled to find their rhythm offensively against the disciplined Silver Ferns. Henry-Wright pointed out that her team’s movement and fitness let them down in key moments.

“I think we got a bit static in the attack because we were not going for the ball and we allowed them to dictate the space. That was one of our main shortfalls,” she reasoned. “I think we came out a bit flat, and fitness was also an issue, especially in the midcourt.”

New Zealand made the brighter start, forcing turnovers in Jamaica’s midcourt to take a 16-13 lead at the end of the opening quarter.

The second quarter produced an entertaining battle as both teams traded goals. Each side scored 12, allowing the Silver Ferns to carry a narrow 28-25 advantage into halftime.

Veteran goal shooter Romelda Aiken-George kept Jamaica in contention, scoring 18 of the Sunshine Girls’ 25 first-half goals. However, missed opportunities proved costly, as Aiken-George missed two attempts while Shanice Beckford also failed to convert twice — chances that could have given Jamaica a slender half-time lead.

The Sunshine Girls responded strongly after the break, tightening defensively and drawing level at 34-34 with just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter.

But New Zealand regained control late in the period, intercepting several Jamaican passes before converting them into goals. The Silver Ferns outscored Jamaica 13-11 in the quarter to open a 41-36 lead heading into the final stanza.

The Jamaicans were unable to recover after a sluggish start to the fourth quarter as New Zealand stretched their lead to 10 goals midway through. The Sunshine Girls battled to reduce the deficit, but the Silver Ferns held firm to secure a 56-48 victory and reclaim the Commonwealth Games title.

Aiken-George led Jamaica’s scoring with 32 goals from 36 attempts, while Beckford contributed 16 from 18.