Sunshine Girls captain and West Coast Fever superstar Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard has re-entered the Fever environment, two months after the devastating loss of her pregnancy in January.
Fever General Manager Sue Gaudion confirmed in a statement that the towering Jamaican goal shooter has expressed a desire to gradually work her way back into the club set up.
“Jhaniele has expressed her desire to re-enter the Fever environment with a view to possibly make a return to the court at some stage in 2025,” Gaudion said. “She will work gradually through a program and there will certainly not be any pressure from the club, Dan (Ryan) or myself for her to come back by a certain date.
“She will return to the court in her own time when she is ready, both in a physical sense, but also mentally. We will continue to support Jhaniele through this next phase, and we hope that her love and passion for netball and West Coast Fever can have a positive effect on her after what has been a very difficult and trying time for her and her family.”
The 35-year-old announced in December that she was pregnant and would miss the 2025 Super Netball season. She was also absent from Jamaica’s three-Test home series against South Africa in January.
Tragically, later that month, West Coast Fever shared news of the loss of “Baby Fowler-Nembhard,” expressing heartbreak and solidarity with the Jamaican star, her daughter Drehannah, and partner Ashani.
Fowler-Nembhard, widely regarded as the best goal shooter in world netball, has been a dominant force in Super Netball since joining the Fever in 2018. She won five consecutive league MVP awards from 2018 to 2022 and has topped the league in goals for seven straight seasons. In 2024, she scored a league-high 813 goals, including a record-breaking 76-goal game against the NSW Swifts.
The Fever signed Malawi international Mwai Kumwenda in December as a replacement shooter for the 2025 season, but the return of Fowler-Nembhard to the training environment will undoubtedly uplift the club, players, and fans alike.