West Coast Fever star Alice Teague-Neeld has conceded Diamonds selection weighed on her mind as she battled a back injury earlier this season — the first major setback of her career.

Fever could not only seal a finals berth but put themselves in a prime position to earn a home minor semi-final should they beat the Melbourne Mavericks at RAC Arena on Saturday night — with the blockbuster game set to be a record-breaking sell-out.

Teague-Neeld’s return to the court in recent weeks has been vital for the Fever as they look to regain their best form late in the year, with the vice-captain sorely missed when she was sidelined from rounds six to eight with a back setback.

And while a second premiership at Fever is the 30-year-old’s immediate goal, the prospect of making the Australian team for the upcoming Commonwealth Games is also unavoidable.

Teague-Neeld said she had moments when the Diamonds’ selection weighed on her mind, but her focus had to shift to West Coast Fever and their pursuit of a premiership for the first time since 2022.

“It was tough. I’ve been pretty lucky my whole career, with the only game I ever missed being due to COVID, so it was strange to sit on the sidelines and not be able to contribute to the team,” she said.

“The focus was to get the back right, control what I could control. You can start to think about other things, like Diamonds and wanting to be out on the court for Fever, and when you’re going to be back.

“You know when selection is coming up, and you want to be back in the squad. There are moments when you do think about it, but once I got back on the court and gradually progressing week to week, it was mostly about playing for Fever because that’s going to help everything.”

After losing three of their previous four games, Fever returned to form with an 18-goal belting of the Queensland Firebirds at the weekend to send a strong message to the competition.

They take on the fourth-placed Mavericks this weekend, while a round 14 clash against arch-rivals Melbourne Vixens will be their biggest test headed into the post-season.

Teague-Neeld said Fever had put a lot of attention into their connection, which helped them topple the Firebirds in convincing fashion.

“The vibe and the energy leading into the Firebirds was good. We were in a positive mindset, and everything fired for us,” he said.

“Everyone was enjoying their netball, having fun. Not being too serious but definitely performing. For our group, it is about finding that right balance.”

The prospect of a record home-and-away crowd is set to boost Fever for their crucial clash against the Mavericks, with more than 13,000 tickets sold as of Thursday night.

“At the best of times, RAC Arena is so loud, so to have it that packed again is really exciting,” Teague-Neeld said.

“We’ll need the Green Army’s support at the weekend.”