Defending champions Sydney FC have slumped to last spot on the A-League Women table after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Wellington at Porirua Park in New Zealand.
Second half goals from Grace Jale and Zoe McMeeken were enough to seal all three points for the Phoenix, extending their unbeaten run to a club record four matches.
Heavy rain hit on the stroke of halftime, with the restart delayed for 45 minutes to allow the thunderstorm and nearby lightning to pass through.
When play resumed, Jale opened the scoring in the 59th minute with a speculative 30-yard strike that snuck under the gloves of goalkeeper Tahlia Franco.
Fullback McMeeken secured the win and was mobbed by teammates when she nodded home in the 88th minute for her first ALW goal.
Sydney, with only a win and a draw to their name from seven games, are now dead last on the ladder following a third consecutive defeat.
"I know they’re struggling for form, but they’re Sydney FC and they’ve got serial winners in that team and good players in that team," Phoenix coach Paul Temple said.
"They’re still very tough to beat and it’s a big step for us as a team to do that today."
Sky Blues coach Ante Juric feels his team are creating enough chances, but just aren't putting them away.
"That's the story of our season. That's why I'm confident," Juric said.
"If we got belted every week, I'd be less confident.
"It's tough to always stay up the top. Life is sometimes tough. You're not always going to have it easy. I try to teach the girls that.
"It's my job to get us out of this. It's a challenge, but I'm up for that and so are the girls."
In Newcastle, Laini Freier, identical twin of Matildas breakout star Sharn Freier, scored a hat-trick for her first league goals, with two assists from her sister, while Momo Hayashi scored arguably the goal of the season as Brisbane thumped the Jets 6-1.
In her debut ALW season after earning a contract through hot state league form last year, after missing all of 2022 with an ACL tear, Freier netted in the 42nd, 69th and 72nd minutes to headline the Roar's big win.
Brisbane striker Grace Kuilamu opened the scoring in just the second minute, bursting away down the right and finishing with aplomb.
Newcastle skipper Cass Davis equalised in the 32nd minute but just two minutes later, were left to rue poor defending at a set piece, with Tamar Levin heading home almost unopposed.
Then the Freiers got to work.
Sharn received the ball on the left, beat a defender and squared it for Laini to tap home in the 42nd.
Seven minutes later, Hayashi unleashed an extraordinary free kick from more than 30 yards.
Freier earned her second after Tanaye Morris intercepted a loose pass, forced a save and the forward tapped home.
She completed her hat-trick, and the rout, when Sharn received a lovely cross-field ball from Hayashi on the left and cut the back back to Laini, who chipped Tiahna Robertson with a lovely first-time finish.
In Saturday's third game, ex-Canberra United forward Nicki Flannery came back to haunt her former club with a second-minute goal in Melbourne Victory's 2-0 win.
