Jess Shaw has cemented herself as one of the leading wing attacks in the Netball Super League.
Shaw found her feet during two seasons at Severn Stars, with the diminutive attacker providing a constant source of feeds for shooters during her time in Worcester.
Her performances earned her a call-up to Jess Thirlby’s Vitality Roses squad, where she continued her fine form on the international stage.
She travelled out to face Australia as an injury replacement in September 2024 and took her chance with both hands, impressing with her performances and she continued to play a key role on home soil in series wins in both the Taini Jamison Trophy and Vitality Nations Cup.
Domestically, Shaw’s performances earned her a place at wing attack in the NSL 2024 All Star VII, and so it is no surprise then that Birmingham Panthers head coach Jo Trip was keen to secure her services ahead of the 2025 season.
Shaw also brings plenty of experience to the court since making her Netball Super League debut aged just 15 for Yorkshire Jets.
The wing attack then spent a number of seasons at Team Bath, where her progress was limited by injury to the point that she considered retiring before rekindling her love at Stars.
“I was at a point in my career where I was questioning whether I was going to continue playing netball,” she revealed. “I wasn’t enjoying it but at Stars I found that love again.”
Shaw brings plenty of resilience too, from battling against both her injuries and type 1 diabetes, a condition she has managed since she was 13.
It is something she has grown in confidence speaking about through her career, and now wants to show others that it is not a barrier to a career in sport.
She added: “It’s hard but having that support network around me has really helped me start to post about it and the things I have received back, it’s actually helping people.
“You can still reach the top, it’s hard and you’re going to have your different challenges but it’s not stopping you."
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