Shamera Sterling has etched her name in history in 2023, taking out Suncorp Super Netball Player of the Year and joining a coveted club of the game’s all-time greats.
After winning a maiden premiership with the Adelaide Thunderbirds and taking out the Club Champion Award, Sterling has become just the second player in SSN history to win the Player of the Year Award.
The 27-year-old has been pivotal to the Thunderbirds’ defensive end ever since she burst onto the SSN scene in 2019, becoming an instant fan favorite.
In her fifth season in SSN, the international star led the Thunderbirds to the club’s first premiership in a decade, defeating the NSW Swifts in an epic grand final where she recorded 7 crucial gains, 3 intercepts and 3 rebounds.
In 2023, Sterling led the league with 118 deflections, a substantial 15 more than the second-highest ranked player.
The defensive queen also topped the league with 46 interceptions, making her claim as the world’s best.
To cap off her stellar season, Sterling finished third overall in the league for Nissan Net Points, with a total of 1472 and was named in the Nissan Net Points Team of the Week seven times.
Sterling was also named in the SSN Team of the Year at goal keeper, alongside 2023 Thunderbirds defensive partner Latanya Wilson.
Wilson had another outstanding year across goal defence and wing defence, recording 70 deflections and 30 intercepts of her own, playing a key role in the Thunderbirds premiership season.
The 23-year-old has been selected for the SSN Team of the Year for the second-consecutive year.
Sterling and Wilson were both acknowledged at the 2023 Australian Netball Awards.
