Loughborough Lightning Extend Unbeaten Start in Netball Super League
Loughborough Lightning's leading scorer Samantha Wallace-Joseph continues to impress as the Netball Super League's top scorer with 260 goals this season.
Head coach Vic Burgess emphasized the team's focus on consistent performance, stating they are "taking it week by week" following their 73-56 victory over London Mavericks.
Lightning secured a 17-12 lead by the end of the first quarter at their home venue, Sir David Wallace Arena, and maintained control throughout the match to achieve their eighth consecutive win.
"We talk about it [unbeaten record] but, ultimately, nothing changes as we go into training on Monday," said Burgess. "We evaluate what we've done and move on to the next match straight away. It doesn't change."
Samantha Wallace-Joseph delivered an outstanding performance by scoring 37 goals, helping Lightning accumulate 24 points in the league standings.
"Collectively, it [unbeaten record] brings pressure because every day you want to go out there and win a game but we are trying to take each match a step at a time," said Wallace-Joseph, who was named player of the match. "I strive under pressure and am loving it."
The London Mavericks currently hold fifth place with 10 points.
"Just in the big moments, we're not quite there yet," said Mavericks head coach Tamsin Greenway. "We know that and it's frustrating - because we have the moments - but that's what happens when you play such a quality team."
AO Manchester Thunder climbed to second place with 19 points after a 67-55 win against sixth-placed LexisNexis Dragons. However, they could be overtaken by London Pulse, who are third, if Pulse defeat NIC Leeds Rhinos on Sunday.
Forest Have 'More in the Tank' After Win Over Panthers
Nottingham Forest head coach Chelsea Pitman indicated that her team has yet to reach their peak form in the Netball Super League despite their commanding 70-54 victory over Birmingham Panthers.
South African international Rolene Streutker was instrumental in Forest's success at a sold-out Worcester Arena, scoring 43 goals and earning player of the match honors.
The win brought Forest within one point of third-placed Manchester Thunder and three points behind second-placed London Pulse.
"I still think we have a lot more in the tank and we're not even close to our best at the moment, which is exciting for us," Pitman told Sky Sports. "We just need to make sure we are absolutely ruthless in our execution and just be relentless."
Forest started the season with three consecutive wins but had suffered four straight defeats before this victory over the Panthers.
Streutker credited the team's return to fundamentals for their improved performance.
"We've been training really hard and it's just so nice having the results to show for it," she said. "I think we've had a couple of shaky, shaky games before this one, so I think it's really good that we had a great score today."
Betsy Creak scored 24 goals for the Panthers, and Sophie Egbaran added 20, but head coach Sonia Mkoloma acknowledged that her team lacked clinical execution during the second and third quarters.
"We know it's not good enough and it's below our target," she said. "So that was disappointing because we put ourselves in a bit of a hole."
How to Follow the 2026 Netball Super League on
will broadcast one live game per week during the regular season on its website and (UK only, all times BST):
- 24 April: Leeds Rhinos v Nottingham Forest (19:00)
- 4 May: Manchester Thunder v Birmingham Panthers (18:00)
- 9 May: Nottingham Forest v London Mavericks (15:00)
- 15 May: Loughborough Lightning v Nottingham Forest (19:00)
- 24 May: London Pulse v Dragons (17:00)
