Netball Jamaica has announced a powerful 15-member Sunshine Girls squad for the upcoming Horizon Home and Away Series, set to be contested over four games between Jamaica and England. The series, which will begin in Manchester, England, on November 16 and 17, before shifting to Kingston for the final two matches on November 25 and 26, promises to be an intense showdown between two of the world’s top netball teams.

 Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, Jamaica’s ace shooter and captain, will once again lead the Sunshine Girls as they prepare to take on England, the number 3 ranked team in the world. Fowler-Nembhard, who played a pivotal role in the team’s bronze medal performance at the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa, will be at the helm of a squad that blends seasoned international stars with emerging talents.

 The 12-member squad traveling to England includes a mix of attacking powerhouses and defensive stalwarts. Alongside Fowler-Nembhard, Shanice Beckford, Mischa Creary, and Rhea Dixon will lead the attack, while the center court will be commanded by Abigale Sutherland, Khadijah Williams, Crystal Plummer, and Theresa Beckford. On the defensive end, Shamera Sterling Humphrey, Kadie-Ann Dehaney, Latanya Wilson, and Jody-Ann Ward will provide the backbone for the Sunshine Girls.

 Three members of the current Fast 5 squad—Zaudi Green, Kimone Shaw, and Simone Gordon—will join the team for the Kingston leg of the series, further strengthening the squad as they face England in front of their home crowd.

 Newly appointed head coach Sasher-Gaye Henry expressed confidence in her team’s ability to rise to the occasion. "It will be two weeks of high-intensity, top-quality netball action at home and away. We just want all netball fans to come out and support the girls for the games in Kingston," Henry said. "We are happy that our full senior squad is fit and ready for action, and that the new members of the team will have a chance to be fully integrated."

 The Sunshine Girls, ranked 4th in the world, are looking forward to an exciting series. Captain Fowler-Nembhard shared her enthusiasm, noting the significance of the rivalry between Jamaica and England. "We are always happy to be on court, and England and Jamaica are the number 3 and number 4 ranked teams in the world. We are expecting the usual high-energy support from the Jamaican fans in England and hoping this series will help us to improve our ranking," said Fowler-Nembhard.

 The Horizon Home and Away Series kicks off at the AO Arena in Manchester on November 16 and 17 before concluding at the National Indoor Sports Centre (NISC) in Kingston on November 25 and 26. Tickets for the series will go on sale next week.

The Sunshine Girls squad will be supported by specialist coach Rob Wright, performance analyst Kyle Hendricks, and team managers Roxan Long and Lydia Wilks. Team doctor Dr. Michelle Holt and physiotherapists Nicole Reid and Orianna Blackwood will also be on hand to ensure the team is in peak condition. Simone Forbes will serve as head of delegation.

 Netball fans can expect an exhilarating series as Jamaica aims to shine on both home and foreign soil against one of their fiercest rivals.

It was heartbreak for Jamaica’s Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, Shanice Beckford, and Kadie-Ann Dehaney as West Coast Fever narrowly missed out on making the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) League grand final following a nail-biting 72-73 loss to Melbourne Vixens in the preliminary final at the John Cain Arena on Saturday.

Fowler-Nembhard, who enjoyed superb form throughout the season, scored 60 goals from 62 attempts, including four two-goal Super Shot efforts, while Beckford scored four goals from four attempts, and Alice Teague-Neeld scored two goals from two attempts and three from the Super Shot line.

However, it was not enough to deny the Vixens, who got their goals from Sophie Garbin, who scored 40 goals from 40 attempts, and Kiera Austin, who had 33 goals from 32 attempts, including four from the two-goal Super shot line.

With the win, the Vixens have booked themselves a date with reigning champions Adelaide Thunderbirds in next week's grand final.

In what was a keenly contested encounter, West Coast Fever showed first, with Dehaney getting her hands onto the ball early. 

The Fever defensive pressure suffocated the Vixens attack, allowing the Perth-based team to establish a five-goal lead before the home side were able to settle their nerves. The Vixens clawed back the deficit to make it a one-goal game at 18-19 heading into the second quarter.

There was nothing to separate the teams in the second quarter, as they exchanged 19 goals apiece in pulsating end-to-end action, but the Fever remained one-goal ahead at 38-37 at half-time. 

Though the Fever upped the tempo with consistent defensive pressure at the top of the third quarter, they later lost momentum as the Vixens came to live and outscored their opponents 20-14 to take a 57-52 leading heading into the final quarter.

The Vixens maintained the momentum at the top of the final quarter and even extended their lead at one point.

However, with their usual never-say-die response, the Fever produced a late rally through Fowler-Nembhard and Teague-Neeld, who both scored a few Super Shots in the dying minutes. But too late was the cry as the Vixens held firm for the one-goal win and more importantly, gets a another shot at the Thunderbirds, who hammered them in the major semi-final.

Jamaica’s Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, Latanya Wilson and Romelda Aiken-George continued winning ways with Adelaide Thunderbirds, as they produced a blistering second half display to secure a 67-41 win over Melbourne Mavericks at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, on Saturday.

The 26-goal victory –Thunderbirds’ widest margin so far this season –propelled them into second position on 32 points, same as West Coast Fever, but with a better goal difference of 93 goals greater than their conceded total. Melbourne Vixens (36 points) remain in pole position.

Aiken-George again led Thunderbirds from the front with 39 goals from 43 attempts, supported by Lauren Frew, who scored 13 goals from 15 attempts. Lucy Austin had nine goals from 11 attempts, and Georgie Horjus ended with six from six.

Another Jamaican Shimona Jok led Mavericks’ efforts with 25 goals from 28 attempts, as Eleanor Cardwell (10 goals from 13 attempts) and Gabrielle Sinclair (four goals from seven attempts) offered support.

Horjus was on top of her game across all four quarters, finishing with 116 Nissan Net Points, while Sterling-Humphrey (106 NNP), who was briefly sidelined after taking a knock to the face, and Wilson (77.5 NNP) delivered standout individual performances.

Adelaide Thunderbirds celebrate their win.

The Mavericks were more spirited at the start, as Jok scored three unanswered goals, before Sterling-Humphrey raked in two gains, two intercepts and a deflection in the first term alone, to bring Thunderbirds back into the contest. Aiken-George was prolific on the scoreboard for the Thunderbirds in a tightly contested and physical quarter, which they won 15-14.

The Thunderbirds maintained the momentum in the second quarter, courtesy of brisk goals from Frew and Aiken-George inside the opening minutes.

An aerial duel between Jok and Sterling-Humphrey, forced to the latter to the bench with a suspected concussion from a hit behind the ball. She was replaced by Wilson, who also made her presence felt, as Mavericks’ penalties and turnovers proved their undoing in the quarter that ended 18-11 in favour of Thunderbirds, with the score at 33-25 at half-time.

Like the first two quarters, the Mavericks struggled to make the most of their possession in the attacking third, and that allowed Thunderbirds to maintain a stranglehold on the contest, which seemed headed for blowout. Despite a strong performance from Jok and a Super Shot from Sinclair, it wasn’t enough to claw back the Thunderbirds’ 15-goal advantage heading into the final break at 49-34. 

Still, the Mavericks fought on with four quick goals in the opening three minutes, before a deflection from Sterling-Humphrey and a couple of impressive long-range goals from Horjus widened Thunderbirds’ gap to 17 points.

And even switching Jok to goalkeeper to match Aiken-George's height, proved futile for the Mavericks, who were blew away 18-7 in the final quarter.

Sterling-Humphrey maintained her stellar performance and ended with a rebound, six intercepts, and five deflections, while Wilson was also on song with an impressive seven deflections and an intercept, as both thwarted the opponent’s attack.