Jamaica’s Jhanielle Fowler of the West Coast Fever and Trinidad and Tobago’s Samantha Wallace of the New South Wales Swifts confirmed the development to Sportsmax.TV on Tuesday. They are among seven Caribbean players in the SSN.
“The players have agreed to this, even though it will affect us all across the board really badly, we have agreed to it given the situation the organisation has been placed in,” Fowler said.
“Hopefully, after they have reviewed it things will be better for us as players but for now it is what it is.”
Wallace revealed that the review should happen in a matter of weeks.
“It's hard but it's for the best and I think it's only for three weeks,” she said. “Yes, it will affect people. You have rent to pay, health insurance to pay and you have to save something but it’s only for three weeks. Hopefully, things will settle and we will be back to normal.”
The SSN Commission contacted the players association about a week ago to discuss the possibility of wage cuts among other issues. According to Wallace, the players didn’t have much to discuss given the situation.
Fowler, meanwhile, said while the situation would be difficult for players she remains hopeful things will change for the better soon.
“A pay cut of 70 per cent is not ideal. Especially in a foreign country, it is going to be difficult times and hard to cope but we do have faith in the organisation around us that they will support us. They will not let us go hungry.
“Hopefully, we will be okay for the coming times. Hopefully, this thing can be curtailed and the league can start and we will be able to go back to full salary.”
Fowler-Nembhard, who has won the medal in six of the seven seasons she has played with the Fever, expressed her profound gratitude and joy at receiving the accolade. "Having won the Stacey Marinkovich Medal for the sixth time is an overwhelming feeling. It’s great. I am beyond honoured," she said. "I am happy to know that my performance and my hard work have been paying off and I am grateful to know that it has been recognized."
In the recently concluded season, the Fever narrowly missed out on reaching the final, losing 73-72 to the Melbourne Vixens in a nail-biting Preliminary Final last month. The Vixens went on to lose 59-57 to the Adelaide Thunderbirds, who clinched back-to-back titles. Despite the team's narrow miss, Fowler-Nembhard's individual performance was nothing short of spectacular. She led the scoring for the Fever and league with an impressive 813 goals and accumulated 1571.5 Nissan Net Points.
Reflecting on her achievement, Fowler-Nembhard said, "To be MVP for my club is a great feeling and will definitely be something that I have to look back on after I hang up my boots, knowing that I have put out so much in my career and it has paid off in numerous ways, winning these awards year-in, year-out."
The veteran player also acknowledged the collective effort of her teammates throughout the season. "I am grateful for it. I am over the moon. I am humbled by these awards as well because my teammates have put in a lot of work this season, and anyone could have won this," she noted. "But the fact that I have won gives me great pleasure to know that I am still performing at a very high standard which is what is required when you’re playing at this level, but to be able to maintain this over the years has been really good."
Fowler-Nembhard's consistency and excellence have not only been crucial for the West Coast Fever but have also set a high benchmark in the league. Her sustained performance over the years underscores her dedication, skill, and passion for the sport.
Her latest accolade adds to a storied career that will be remembered long after she decides to retire.
The Club has added the experience Kelsey Browne in the mid-court for season 2024, while the arrivals of England Roses captain Fran Williams, and former Sunshine Coast Lightning player Kadie-Ann Dehaney will bolster the defence.
The future is bright for Fever with the signing of young guns Jordan Cransberg and Olivia Wilkinson for three years each, while the addition of Sunshine Girls goal-attack Shanice Beckford, is also expected to add impetus to the Perth-based club's charge.
Head Coach Dan Ryan said the Green Army should be excited about the familiar faces returning combined with the fresh injection of x-factor players.
“I’m so excited about what this team can become, and our mission is going to be to become the best team we possibly can be. All 10 players contributing, playing a role, using their skillsets and weapons to help get us across the line,” Ryan said.
“It’s going to be ferocious West Coast Fever like always, but we are going to look a little bit different and that’s what I’m really excited by," he added.
Ryan said the Club had a clear strategy during recruitment to ensure the team was very versatile.
“I think the most important thing to take out of last season is that it really does take a full team of 10 to win the competition, which is what we saw from the Thunderbirds and Swifts,” he said.
“We’ve got a really deep squad. We’ve got positional coverage in every single position on the court, and we can roll the subs in any position without having to make too many shuffles across the court.
“I’m excited by enough continuity that we can keep doing what we’re doing that’s seen us be successful over the past couple of years.
“But we also have some really new, exciting players coming into our line-up that can make us change the game, shift our game plan, shift our strategies and that unpredictable nature is going to be a bit of a competitive edge for us.”
West Coast Fever will officially commence pre-season training in the new year.
