Hankin makes Storm switch from Mavericks

The 24-year-old endured an injury-hit 2019 after returning to the Mavericks – a team she first joined at the age of 14 –  following one year in the north-east.

Now ready for her eighth Superleague season, Sophie said: “It was hard to leave Mavericks, over the years they’ve made me the player that I am, but now this is a fresh chapter for me. I was lucky enough to be given this opportunity, and it’s for me to develop my netball. I will definitely learn some key things under Mikki’s coaching, so I’m really excited.

“After a rough season, with my knee injury, the fact that I was still wanted, and that Mikki had faith in me, makes me really happy. Mikki was a key factor in me joining Storm. Now I’m very excited to meet all the new fans and hear those very loud cheers from the crowd – which I was against but now I’m very glad that I’m part of!”

Even so early in pre-season training, Sophie appreciates the togetherness in the Storm camp, and how that can help drive the team to future success.

“You’ve got to have faith in yourself, and with the team-mates we have here, everyone has each other’s back,” she observes. “I want to work hard and support one another – we are all on the same page, and we’re just going to keep building and building. We want to hit that top four, and with the calibre of players that we have and the cohesiveness, I definitely think that’s achievable.”

You can watch Surrey Storm at the Season Opener 2020 – buy tickets now!

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