Season five for Sunshine Coast Lightning was filled with excitement, growth and new challenges.
Despite COVID-19 disruptions, the Suncorp Super Netball season was as competitive as ever.
Eight wins – including two in extra time – saw Lightning qualify to compete in a fifth consecutive finals’ series, becoming the only club in SSN history to do so.
Up front Cara Koenen shot a career best 518 goals – the 6th highest in the league and accounting for 60% of Lightning’s goals.
While fellow shooter Steph Wood was dangerous in the circle, her influence across the court saw her feature alongside Laura Scherian in a range of different statistical categories.
Lightning ranked fourth for total goals across the league, with Scherian and Wood placing eight and ninth across both goal assists and feed with an attempt, respectively.
Only three teams had two players feature in the top ten for goal assists, with Lightning joined by Grand Finalists NSW Swifts and GIANTS Netball.
The Wing Attack also continued her dominance ranking second for centre pass receives in the league this season, with Wood placed seventh.
Further down court, Lightning showed their love for intercepts, ranking fourth overall, with Karla Pretorius fifth in the league.
Pleasingly for Lightning fans, newcomer Tara Hinchliffe ranked eighth in the same category – despite playing just 10 games – with former Lightning defender Phumza Maweni in ninth place.
In terms of personal bests, Mahalia Cassidy achieved a number of records including season gains (22), deflections (13) and equalled her career best in intercepts (13).
Incoming Lightning player Kadie-Ann Dehaney also bettered her previous records with 41 gains, 16 intercepts and 42 deflections.
Hinchliffe also beat her previous intercept record by 1 (23) despite less game time due to injury.
