Adelaide Thunderbirds star defender and Jamaican international Shamera Sterling-Humphrey will sit out the remainder of the 2025 Suncorp Super Netball League season after announcing that she is expecting her first child with her husband Andrew.

The back-to-back champion Thunderbirds shared the news on Thursday, expressing joy and full support for one of their most influential players.

“I’m so excited to be having a little one and getting the opportunity to be back with my husband for this special moment – I know I’ll be a great mum,” said Sterling-Humphrey. “I’ll miss being out on court this season, but I’ll continue supporting the team while I prepare for the arrival of our new family member.”

The Jamaican defender has been a game-changing force in the Thunderbirds' defensive circle since joining the club in 2019, helping steer them to consecutive SSN titles in 2023 and 2024. Her absence will be deeply felt, but the club remains fully behind her as she steps into a new role – motherhood.

Thunderbirds General Manager of High Performance, Jace Bode, said the entire organisation was thrilled for the couple.

“We know how much this means to Shamera and Andrew and we’re so excited for them to grow their family,” Bode said. “As a team, we’ve loved having Romelda’s daughter Gigi around over the past two seasons and we look forward to meeting the newest member of the Tbirds family later this year.

“We will continue to support Shamera as she remains a significant part of our team, and we look forward to having her back on court in 2026.”

In Sterling-Humphrey’s absence, South African defender Sanmarie Visser has been elevated from her training partner contract to a replacement player role. Visser initially joined the club as a temporary replacement for Romelda Aiken-George and will now travel with the team to Sydney for their next match.

The Thunderbirds face the Giants at Ken Rosewall Arena on Saturday, May 3.