Foundation Sunshine Coast Lightning player and two-time premiership defender, Karla Pretorius has announced her retirement from professional netball.
Lightning player #9, recently added to her 125 caps for South Africa at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, Pretorius enjoyed a glittering career across both the Telkom Netball League (TNL) and Super Netball (SN).
A five-time TNL Champion and two-time SN winner, Pretorius was Sunshine Coast Lightning player of the year and players’ player from 2018 to 2020.
Pretorius was also the vice-captain of the South African national team, the SPAR Proteas, representing her country at the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and 2018 and the Netball World Cup in 2015, 2019 (where she was awarded tournament MVP) and 2023.
Off the court, Pretorius announced her pregnancy at the end of 2021, returning home to South Africa and missing the 2022 season with Lightning. Baby Kara came along in June of 2022.
Pretorius returned to the Lightning in 2023, winning the team Spirit Award before returning home to South Africa.
Pretorius leaves professional netball with a number of accolades and achievements to her name, including:
2014 TNL Champion
2015 TNL Champion
2015 TNL Player of the Tournament
2016 TNL Champion
2017 SSN Grand Final Winner
2018 SSN Grand Final Winner
2018 SCL Players’ Player of the Year
2018 SCL Player of the Year
2018 SSN Team of the Year
2019 SCL Members’ Player of the Year
2019 SCL Players’ Player of the Year
2019 SCL Player of the Year
2019 NWC Player of the Tournament
2020 SCL Players’ Player of the Year
2020 SCL Player of the Year
2023 SCL Team Spirit Award
2024 TNL Champion
2024 TNL Player of the Tournament
2024 SPAR Challenge Best Defender
2026 TNL Champion
2026 TNL Defender of the Tournament
