The peerless goal shoot was in career-best form as the Magic won the preliminary grand final 54-49, with van Dyk (38) contributing all but 11 of the goals and missing just one attempt deep in the fourth quarter, as her side avenged its loss in the competition's inaugural final in 2008 in style in Newcastle.
The Magic's fourth successive win since a late-season slump sets up a grand final with last year's beaten finalist the Adelaide Thunderbirds next Sunday, an opponent it beat 53-44 in the final round of the regular season.
The Magic's virtuoso performance, cemented by a dominant 17-9 second quarter, secured just the second win by a New Zealand franchise on an Australian court in 41 attempts since the competition began three years ago.
The Hamilton-based team was also responsible for the first New Zealand victory in Perth last year, and another triumph in Adelaide would cap a remarkable resurgence for the third-seeded qualifier.
While Van Dyk's return of 43 from 44 earned the plaudits, the Silver Ferns great justifiably shared the kudos after defensive nemesis Sonia Mkoloma was rendered ineffective.
In a stark turnaround from the Swifts' 17-goal win over the Magic on June 7, the English defender was unable to impose herself on van Dyk, who stood firm under the hoop.
"Irene was fantastic. She was really strong under the post and caught some beautiful ball," Magic coach Noeline Taurua said.
"She was in the circle more than she has been. That's when she's most deadliest and dominant."
Van Dyk had developed a tendency to move outside the circle but yesterday she reverted to type, lingering at the post to haul in a wealth of sweetly-timed long-range passes.
"They fed beautifully," van Dyk said of her service from Laura Langman, Frances Solia and goal attack Jodi Brown, who played the perfect supporting role.
"Having Jodi to lead the attack and make the decisions worked for us."
The Magic's faith in the aerial route took the Swifts by surprise and, to captain Catherine Cox's dismay, they were unable to adapt.
A glassy-eyed Cox summed up her side's despair.
"It seems like the obvious thing to do. It pays off for them and it still took us unawares at the start," she said of the tactic to pick out van Dyk.
"We had to work out how to tackle it and we couldn't stop it.
"Two tall shooters with balls flying in two weeks in a row have got us," Cox lamented, referring to Carla Borrego's impact for the Thunderbirds in last weekend's qualifying semifinal.
That shock 14-goal loss after a 13-match unbeaten regular season was an indication the Swifts were unravelling and yesterday their opponent's midcourt domination was again a decisive factor.
Langman, Solia, and English import Jade Clarke ruled while Casey Williams and Jodi Tod gave Cox (32/38) and Susan Pratley (17/21) gave plenty of grief.
