New Zealand shooter Grace Nweke who is excelling in Australia, remains committed to wearing the Silver Fern. Photo: Jason McCawley / Getty Images
Star recruit Grace Nweke is taking the world's best netballers by storm after her seamless first three outings in Australia's Suncorp Super Netball.
Nweke's Sydney-based team is on a three-game winning streak with the 23-year-old showing no early nerves as she settles into the toughest competition in the world.
And while the Swifts top the ladder, Nweke is second on the league's goal scoring stats.
The prolific Kiwi has scored 148 goals over three matches, four points behind the leader Shimona Jok of the Melbourne Mavericks, with Romelda Aiken-George third on 112 goals.
Fox netball commentator and former Australian Diamond Emily Beaton said Nweke was a key performer in her side's latest scalp.
Playing away from home in Adelaide the NSW Swifts fought back to trounce the back-to-back reigning premiers the Adelaide Thunderbirds 65-57.
The 1.93m Nweke, wearing the NSW Swifts red dress, excelled in her match-up with leading defender Shamera Sterling-Humphrey.
"I think it's so smart because Nweke has got that size on her to be able to block out Shamera Sterling-Humphrey and takes away the elevation where [Shamera] does all of her damage," Emily Beaton said.
Nweke finished the latest match with strong stats shooting 48 goals at 96 percent accuracy. Her fellow Swifts and England shooting partner Helen Housby added 13 goals - including an outstanding 9 from 9 supershots.
The previous weekend the Swifts beat the Melbourne Mavericks at home in a tight 68-62 victory. That followed their dominant 67-49 season opener in Perth against the West Coast Fever.
Nweke still wants to play for the Silver Ferns
Grace Nweke taking on Australia in a Constellation Cup netball test in 2023. Photo: Brett Phibbs
Since touching down in Sydney, Nweke hasn't shied away from voicing her desire to represent the Silver Ferns despite being deemed ineligible this season.
Nweke featured in an interview with Fox commentator and former top Australian goal shooter Cath Cox, in which the 23-year-old reaffirmed her desire to wear the Silver Ferns dress.
In recent weeks, Nweke has also told the Inside Netball podcast hosted by former Silver Fern Adine Wilson and long-time New Zealand commentator Jenny Woods that she was still holding out hope of playing test netball this year.
Netball New Zealand had not budged despite Nweke's calls.
The national association is sticking by its ruling that Nweke is ineligible to represent her country because she will not play in the upcoming local ANZ Premiership competition.
Last year Nweke led the Auckland-based Northern Mystics to the ANZ Premiership title.
Only time will tell if Netball New Zealand will change its decision.
There are however close links between Netball New Zealand and Nweke's Sydney team.
On Sunday, an interested observer sitting on the NSW Swifts bench during the match against the Thunderbirds was Silver Ferns coach Noeline Taurua.
Taurua looks to be keeping in regular contact with her star shooter.
And last year, NSW Swifts coach Briony Akle was appointed by Netball NZ for a spell as a Silver Ferns specialist coach.
Tall import shooters lead the way
Grace Nweke is one of many tall import players in the Australian Suncorp Super Netball competition with 2.01m Ugandan star Mary Cholhok playing at goal shooter for the Queensland Firebirds.
Melbourne Mavericks shooter Shimona Jok, standing at 1.95m, comes from Jamaica, while another Jamaican veteran, 1.96m mother Romelda Aiken-George, suits up for the Adelaide Thunderbirds.
On Sunday the 36-year-old Aiken-George surpassed England great Geva Mentor for the most matches played in the ANZ Championship-Super Netball era with a remarkable 233rd game.
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