Thunderbirds star Shamera Sterling-Humphrey to miss season after announcing pregnancyTopic:Netball59m ago59 minutes agoFri 2 May 2025 at 3:27amAdelaide Thunderbirds defender Shamera Sterling-Humphrey (left) is expecting her first child. (ABC News: Jack Stephens)In short:Adelaide Thunderbirds defender Shamera Sterling-Humphrey announced she is expecting her first child with husband Andrew, ruling her out for the rest of the season.The Jamaican dual-premiership player says she is "so excited" to be "having a little one" and will continue to support the team.What's next?South African Sanmarie Visser will replace Sterling-Humphrey, travelling to Sydney for the clash against the Giants on Saturday.abc.net.au/news/adelaide-thunderbirds-sterling-humphrey-pregnancy/105243476Link copiedShareShare articleStar Adelaide Thunderbirds defender Shamera Sterling-Humphrey will miss the remainder of the national netball season as she prepares to welcome her first child.The club announced her pregnancy in a statement on Friday, confirming who would replace the back-to-back premiership player during her absence from the league.South African Sanmarie Visser, who originally joined the club in the pre-season as a temporary replacement to shooter Romelda Alken-George, will join the squad.Visser will travel with the side to Sydney as they take on the Giants on Saturday.Shamera Sterling-Humphrey (left) has helped the Adelaide Thunderbirds win back-to-back premierships. (AAP: Matt Turner)Sterling-Humphrey said she was excited to embark on this next chapter."I'm so excited to be having a little one and getting the opportunity to be back with my husband [Andrew] for this special moment — I know I'll be a great mum," she said"I'll miss being out on court this season, but I'll continue supporting the team while I prepare for the arrival of our new family member."The then-22-year-old Sterling-Humphrey was first lured to the Adelaide Thunderbirds from the Loughborough Lightning in the UK Super League in 2018.She finished her debut game in April the following year with 10 gains — five intercepts, 12 deflections and three rebounds.Sterling-Humphrey has since been a major factor in the club's back-to-back titles, with her critical intercepts and athleticism helping shut down opposition defences.Shamera Sterling-Humphrey is so quick to come out for a flyer, she can barely be contained to court. (Getty: Sarah Reed)Coach Tania Obst said the whole team was thrilled for both Sterling-Humphrey and Visser."They're very excited for Shamera and Andrew, and they're also really excited for [Visser] and some of the other opportunities that'll present for other athletes," she said."[Visser's] shown some great versatility that she can bring to our team and we're really excited for her to have this opportunity."Thunderbirds general manager of high performance Jace Bode echoed the club's excitement."We know how much this means to Shamera and Andrew and we're so excited for them to grow their family," Bode said.Sterling-Humphrey will rejoin the squad in 2026.Posted 59m ago59 minutes agoFri 2 May 2025 at 3:27am, updated 14m ago14 minutes agoFri 2 May 2025 at 4:12amShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Sport'Let's move beyond it': Bulldogs' Beveridge not focusing on Ugle-HaganTopic:AFLPhoto shows Jamarra Ugle-Hagan playing for the Western Bulldogs against the Sydney Swans.After years of searching, have the Blues found the icing on their cake?JAnalysis by Jon HealyPhoto shows Jocelyn Kelleher, Isabelle Kelly, Tiana Penitani, Kezie Apps and Shaylee Bent smile after winning State of Origin I.How the best AFL teams can win games through clearancesAnalysis by Cody AtkinsonPhoto shows Marcus Bontempelli looks up with the ball as other players surround himPiastri defends teammate Norris after ex-world champion's 'weak' jibeTopic:Formula 1Photo shows Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris pose for a photograph together.Blues hooker Davis drops State of Origin eye-gouging complaintTopic:State of OriginPhoto shows Keeley Davis passes the ball for NSW.Top StoriesLittle-known entity comparing Dutton to Trump spends more than $400,000 on political Meta adsTopic:Australian Federal ElectionsPhoto shows A man in front of a billboard which says "the parties are the problem"Home owners far outnumber first-time buyers, so pollies ‘do the math’Topic:Property PricesPhoto shows A man outside his Qld home standing next to the fence at the front of the house'Stranded': Motorists describe chaos caused by scrap metal truck debrisTopic:Road Accidents and IncidentsPhoto shows A metal shard embedded in a tyreWhere the election will be won and lost — or left hangingTopic:Australian Federal ElectionsPhoto shows A stylised map shows Australia's 150 federal electorates as clusters of hexagons.Why Melbourne’s inner north has Labor worriedTopic:Federal GovernmentRelated storiesThunderbirds to chase history as Super Netball launches seasonTopic:NetballPhoto shows A player holding a ball preparing to throw. 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