Netball is a sport that gains new fans every year. Fìrst played in 1897, it quickly gained traction in England, as well as in many other parts of the world. Nowadays, the sport has more than 20M people in more than 80 countries.
The sport has rich traditions in countries like Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, and attracts many fans. Naturally, these countries are also home to some of the best female netball players in the world, and we are about to learn more details about each one. Remember that the stats here are based on the information we have as of now, but it is prone to change in the future.
Latanya Wilson
If you’ve been following some of netball’s major tournaments, you have heard the name Latanya Wilson. The Jamaican superstar has been on another level recently, especially considering her position. People familiar with the sport know that being a wing defender is easier said than done, but Wilson makes it seem like a walk in the park.
2024 has been an excellent year for the young Jamaican. She was one of the main reasons why her team dominated during the Super Netball competition. The 24-year-old Wilson had a fantastic season playing for the Adelaide Thunderbirds and finished with 1094 Net Points, 89 deflections, 11 rebounds, and 46 intercepts. Needless to say, she will continue to be a core part of her team and help it achieve even better results.
Shamera Sterling-Humphrey
Since we are talking about some of the best female players in the world, we need to share a few words about Shamera Sterling-Humphrey. The Jamaican goalkeeper is in a league of her own regarding performance. In fact, it is safe to say she sets the standards for this position nowadays.
Like Wilson, Sterling-Humphrey is also a part of the Adelaide Thunderbirds. In fact, many people agree that she has a core role in her team winning back-to-back titles.
Another interesting fact about Shamera Sterling-Humphrey is that she is the captain of her country’s team. Considering Jamaica has some of the best players in the world, being the captain is a great honor, and it’s not something that every player has access to.
Grace Nweke
Number 3 on our list of some of the best female netball players in the world is Grace Nweke. If you’ve been following the professional netball scene in 2024, you will know that Nweke was the reason the Northern Mystics made it to the playoffs. She scored countless goals in the last couple of months and was a big reason why her team was so successful.
Like all other top-tier netball players, Grace Nweke also stood out for her country – New Zealand. She scored numerous goals last year, and people will remember her for the amazing performance against Australia at the Constellation Cup. She was on another level and helped her team win.
As of 2025, Nweke is a part of the NSW Swifts and plays in the Super Netball. This decision was a bit controversial because it means she won’t be able to play for her country this year. Many experts predict that she will be back in action for 2026, but we’ll have to wait and see if it will be the case. Let’s not forget that Grace Nweke is just 22 years old, so she has plenty of time to experiment and see what works best for her.
Khanyisa Chawane
The 29-year-old South African Netball superstar is widely regarded as one of the best in the world and the leading player in her country. People following the Netball scene in SA know she was part of her country’s national team during the 2019 Netball World Cup. She also played for South Africa at the 2023 Netball World Cup, which took place in the country itself.
Nowadays, the player is part of the Lexisnexis Cardiff Dragons, a team in the Netball Super League. She first played in this competition in 2020, when she was part of Team Bath.
As mentioned, Chawane is also a key player for South Africa. She also has many fans in her country because she received the People’s Choice Sports Star of the Year award in 2024.
Kiera Austin
Another interesting name that netball fans worldwide want to know more about is Kiera Austin. The 27-year-old Australian player is playing in the Suncorp Super Netball league and is a part of Melbourne Vixes. She joined the team in 2022 after spending some time with Giants Netball.
An interesting fact about Austin is that she did not play in 2021 due to an ACL injury. Some people thought that this would put an end to her career, but this was not the case. She came back in 2022 and proved that she’s one of the best in the world.
Outside of her impressive results with her club, Kiera Austin has played a crucial part in Australia’s solid results. She played for the team in 2022, when the country won the Commonwealth Games, and in 2023, when Australia lifted the Netball World Cup trophy in Cape Town, South Africa.
Funmi Fadoju
The English netball superstar is just 22 years old, but many people consider her to be one of the best in the world. Fadoju has been playing for her country since 2022 and participated in the Netball World Cup. Although the team did not win, it finished second after losing to Australia in the final.
In terms of her club career, the player is a part of the London Pulse. She’s been playing for the club since 2020 and continues to be one of the big reasons for its success.
An interesting fact is that she won the Netball Super League Young Player of the Season in 2021 and 2022. She even helped her team reach the Netball Super League Grand Final in 2023, but she was unable to help the team win.
