The key stats battles to look out for in the final rounds

Every goal, turnover and feed adds up for teams and for individuals as they search to end the campaign top of the stats table.

Here’s a look at the current leaders in the stats columns and the battles that are set to go down to the wire.

Top Goal Scorer 

Throughout the season it has looked more than likely that a Ugandan shooter would take home the crown of Top Goal Scorer for a fifth year in a row but the person wearing the crown has changed.

Holder of the title, Surrey Storm’s Proscovia Peace, was clear out in front in the standings before an injury put an end to her campaign and left the door ajar for the chasing pack.

Mary Cholhok ™️

It didn’t take long for @marynubas2 to produce one of her ICONIC lay-ups 🏀

Watch the game LIVE on @SkySports 📺 pic.twitter.com/slOPWjOcfC

— Netball Super League (@NetballSL) February 5, 2022

Mary Cholhok has swooped right in as she looks to regain the title she won in 2019 and 2021 and sits on 699 goals for the season.

Her nearest challenger is Lenize Potgieter, of Manchester Thunder, who has shot 673 goals this season as her side have once again made the top four.

Stars’ Sigi Burger is third in line with 634 goals but has only one game remaining to overhaul Cholhok’s lead, with both Lightning and Thunder playing twice.

Most Intercepts 

Strathclyde Sirens’ Towera Vinkhumbo is hoping to take back the title of Most Intercepts in the Netball Super League. 

The defender topped the pile in 2021 with 60 and is only two away from that tally already this season.

Denied ❌@ToweraVinkhumbo stops the long pass in. #GetSomeNet l #NSL2023 pic.twitter.com/nTmTvb0YeA

— Netball Super League (@NetballSL) February 11, 2023

She has a gap of six intercepts from Fran Williams, of Loughborough Lightning, and Celtic Dragons’ superstar Shaquanda Greene-Noel, who are both on 52.

Last year’s winner Layla Guscoth sits down in eighth spot with 36 as she and Amy Flanagan (ninth, 32) share the load for Surrey Storm.

While Vinkhumbo, Greene-Noel and Williams are all experienced defenders, there is a young star hoping to challenge them with Jayda Pechova on 50 intercepts for Team Bath. Like Burger, she only has one game remaining to close the gap.

Most Turnovers 

Greene-Noel and Vinkhumbo are battling on two fronts this season and the race for Most Turnovers is even closer.

The Celtic Dragons defender tops the charts so far this season with 93, but Vinkhumbo is hot on her heels with 90 deflections for Sirens.

Shaquanda Greene-Noel. That’s it. That’s the tweet. 😍@celticdragons_ defensive unit working hard to turn the ball over for their team 🤩

You can watch the final upcoming quarter LIVE on @SkySports YouTube 💻 pic.twitter.com/O7QqI0rsZe

— Netball Super League (@NetballSL) April 30, 2023

The usual suspects of Williams and Pechova are not far behind, with London Pulse’s Funmi Fadoju completing a fearsome top five.

Greene-Noel beat out Vinkhumbo to the title last year, also by just three points, and the two will face off in the opening game of Round 19 in what is set to be a mouth-watering encounter.

Most Deflections 

While the two other defensive categories are neck and neck, one player is reigning supreme for the Most Deflections.

Fadoju is sitting pretty at the top with a huge 96 deflections from 15 games for London Pulse, with her defence inspiring Pulse to a top-four finish for just the second time in their history. 

Top Tips ☝️@FadojuFunmi tipping the ball to allow team mate Halimat Adio to get the turnover ↪️#NSL2023 | #GetSomeNet pic.twitter.com/HYgMvsyyzi

— Netball Super League (@NetballSL) April 21, 2023

A recent injury may have hampered her progress but the young Roses star has already put a healthy gap between the next two closest challengers. 

Leeds Rhinos’ Vicki Oyesola has had a stellar season which has seen her produce 80 deflections for the Yorkshire side, matching that of Guscoth. 

The Surrey Storm defender cannot add any more to her tally with Storm’s regular season wrapped up, while Oyesola will be eyeing up Rhinos’ final two games against Severn Stars and Celtic Dragons as an opportunity to claw back the gap to last season’s winner Fadoju. 

Most Feeds 

The current leader of the Most Feeds table has already passed last year’s winner’s total. 

Jess Shaw of Severn Stars has provided 483 feeds to her shooting circle this season, smashing Hannah Joseph’s winning mark of 445 from 2022. 

Shaw has surged up the table having made 202 feeds for Team Bath last year, prior to joining Jo Trip’s rejuvenated side. 

Taking to the sky ✈@SevernStars are finding joy with the long balls as @JessicaShaw_ fires a high feed into the circle 🏐

Head over to @SkySports YouTube to see the full game 🖥#NSL2023 | #GetSomeNet pic.twitter.com/C1v5UOrDJb

— Netball Super League (@NetballSL) May 6, 2023

Another person who has improved on last year is Manchester Thunder captain Nat Metcalf, who has jumped from fourth to second and sits just four feeds behind Shaw with a game in hand.