By Stephanie Smarrelli
And then there were five.
We’ve reached the pointy end of our countdown, the players who stood head and shoulders above the rest.
From unstoppable shooters to defensive machines, this is the best of the best.
If you missed 15 through to 11 or 10 through to six click here.
5. Grace Nweke
There was plenty of hype and expectation, but Grace Nweke delivered.
The 23-year-old made waves when she crossed the ditch to join the Swifts, and it didn’t take long for her to prove she’s the real deal.
Nweke made her mark on SSN.
Nweke finished her debut SSN season with a total of 1340.5 Net Points and 794 goals at 91 per cent accuracy.
She was a nightmare for defenders, commanding the ball, pulling it in and turning to post without hesitation.
Her best outing of the season?
Round 6 against the GIANTS, she dominated finishing the match with 143.5 Net Points, 64 goals at 95 per cent accuracy, eight feeds, six goal assists and four rebounds.
4. Sarah Klau
The rangy defender took her game to new heights in 2025.
Second in the league for intercepts (24) and deflections (72) Klau was instrumental to the Swifts this season.
Her ability to read the play and confuse space enabled her to notch win after win on the court.
Klau produced a strong season for the Swifts.
When she was firing, the Swifts were up and about with Klau a key cog in the side’s early season success and a big reason they played finals.
Her best match was in Round 5 against the eventual premiers. Klau was everywhere at once against the Vixens that day tallying 148.5 Net Points.
She also had 13 deflections, nine gains, five intercepts and two rebounds, a defensive masterclass.
3. Alice Teague-Neeld
You can’t deny what Alice Teague-Neeld produced this season.
She topped the league for goal assists (363) and centre pass receives (328) and was second for Net Points (1389.5) and feeds (554).
Teague-Neeld was prolific for Fever.Teague-Neeld found the circle edge time and time again with speed and composure plus she was bolstered by the calibre of players around her.
She was crucial to Fever's path to the Grand Final, her silky connection with Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard hard for opponents to halt.
Her best match of the season was in Round 14 against the Vixens. Teague-Neeld collected 125.5 Net Points, 37 feeds, 32 goal assists, four deflections and two gains.
2. Latanya Wilson
Wilson continues to be one of the league’s best players.
With Shamera Sterling-Humphrey missing most of the season, some wondered whether Wilson would still be as dangerous.
The answer?
Even more so.
Wilson gave teams nightmares in 2025.
She topped the charts for intercepts in 2025 with 41, almost double the next best defender. She also led the league for deflections (97) and gains (77).
Her ability to read the play and time her challenges with precision were crucial to the Thunderbirds as they fought to play finals.
The 24-year-old's best showing was against the Mavericks in Round 7.
She tore them apart registering 127 Net Points, 11 gains, seven intercepts and eight deflections.
1. Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard
The top spot belongs to Fowler-Nembhard who reminded everyone how powerful women can be.
She missed the opening rounds of 2025 after she sadly experienced pregnancy loss and returned weeks later to deliver one of the most impressive seasons of her career.
Despite the late start, she finished with the most Net Points in the league (1575.5) and 841 goals at 97 per cent accuracy (that’s more goals and a higher accuracy than she shot in 2024).
Fowler-Nembhard was crucial to Fever's record-breaking run.
The sharpshooter turned Fever’s season around and led the charge as the side made history winning a record 13 matches in a row before falling to the Vixens in the Grand Final.
Fowler-Nembhard's strongest performance in 2025 was against the GIANTS in Round 13.
She finished the match with 135 Net Points, 63 goals at 96 per cent, eight rebounds and five feeds.
