While delighted with her successful return to international competition on home soil, Sunshine Girls shooter Shimona Jok believes her player-of-the-game performance in their opening win against South Africa is just the first step in an ongoing process.
Jok, who was the focal point in Jamaica’s attack, netted 38 goals from 39 attempts to assist the Sunshine Girls to a 55-47 victory over the Spar Proteas in the first game of the three-match Margaret Beckford Sunshine Series at the National Indoor Sports Centre on Saturday.
Though her near-flawless shooting, combined with her composure in the circle, has harboured thoughts of a 3-0 win at the end, Jok remains grounded, as she pointed out that more work is needed to secure a clean sweep of the series.
“It was an immaculate feeling being back playing on home soil. To be honest, I never really felt that feeling for a long time apart from being in Australia. It was really good. Felt really welcoming as well. I feel getting player of the match was unexpected because I was quite nervous, but I think the girls brought me along in the game very well, so credit to them, and I am happy I was able to do my part in getting the team over the line,” Jok told SportsMax.Tv.
The game also marked Jok’s first opportunity to play alongside newcomers Brie Grierson and Rhea Dixon, who injected pace and creativity into the attacking front, particularly in the third quarter. Grierson’s debut performance and Dixon’s poise complemented the experienced core and created a balanced and effective attack.
“We were very focused on what we wanted to get from each other out there on court, and I think we just made it very simple for each other,” Jok said.
“We didn’t try to overthink it. Whatever simple play there was, we just made it seamless while still carrying out our own roles. The main thing that really helped us was that we didn’t get into a help mode. We allowed each other to do what was required of us out there on court, and I thought we just fitted in so seamlessly,” she added.
Still, Jok acknowledged that the performance, though dominant, was far from perfect.
“I think we’ll be more focused on our turnover rates. Most of those areas were just on ourselves, not necessarily South Africa. They did get their hands on a few, credit to them, but the majority of it was on us having to get our placement and positions better. I think that will be a definite focus for us during our training,” she admitted.
With the first-game jitters now behind her, the towering 26-year-old shooter is looking forward to the remaining two matches in the series but remains cautious of South Africa’s potential adjustments.
“Yeah, I’d definitely say the jitters are out the way, but it’s not all the way out because South Africa is going to go home and do their video analysis. They’re going to come out firing strong, and I think I have to be prepared for that,” she said.
“I think it was very good getting some of the jitters out the way; I think that's it has set up a really good feeling for me to know what it feels like to play at home more so where I am not like being too anxious and just playing my game,” Jok noted.
While Jok is optimistic about Jamaica’s chances of sweeping the series, she knows the job is far from done.
“Like I said, we’ll definitely have to go back to training first because South Africa, they’re going to come out hard again in our second game. I would love to say clean sweep, but the job has to be done first, the training has to be done first, and all the corrections have to be made first,” she declared.
Beyond the series, Jok sees this international competition as a valuable stepping stone ahead of her return to the Melbourne Mavericks in Australia’s Super Netball League.
“The international stage is different from SSN because you’re representing your country. It’s blood, sweat, and tears out there, so it does prepare me on a different level where remaining positive and not being too afraid to take the contest on is concerned. It preps you mentally, physically, and also emotionally,” Jok ended.