EACH week Draft Central will analyse player performances from across the round in the ANZ Premiership and determine a “Player of the Week” based on game day performances. A player can be nominated as many times as deemed necessary given their individual performance across the round.

Whitney Souness is a well-deserving recipient for Round 8, with the wing attack’s quickfire passes and ability to cleanly track the court allowing the Waikato Bay of Magic to come away with their second win of the season against Southern Steel on Monday night. While the Magic did not win their first match of the round against second-placed Mainland Tactix, Souness was instrumental out the front in the nine goal loss. With plenty of confidence and a critical link through both the midcourt and attacking thirds, Souness has made herself one to watch out on the court for defenders and fans alike.

With immense speed on the court and the feed, Souness impressed with her firepower and confidence to shoot ball into the circle with speed and precision, and while at times she was caught at a stand-still allowing her defender to get an intercept overall she was hard to stop when she got going, using her zippy agility and endurance to constant provide an option on the lead. With just one penalty in the first match and two to her name in the second. Souness’ clean play – despite her ability to get around the body and deflect crucial ball – sees the midcourter continuing to develop her craft in every match.

Her creative ball movement paid dividends while her patience alongside Sam Winders out the front grows with every match, with the duo not hesitating on the assist and creating movement with their switches around the goal circle. Souness has added another element to her game in recent weeks racking up an intercept and two deflections in both her outings in Round 8, showcasing her ability to not only transition between offensive and defensive play but also her potential to grow as an even more well-rounded midcourter. Her first outing saw Souness as a major ball-handler in attack with 16 assists from 28 feeds along with her  defensive ball gets before backing it up with 19 assists from 30 feeds in the second, really proving her reliability and consistency, rarely putting a foot wrong.

With plenty of speed and excitement, Souness is more than capable of winning a game off her own back and proved it in her Round 8 effort against the Steel. A transverse line ball get and following penalty from opposition Kate Heffernan were what allowed Souness to transition down the court with speed and cleanliness to get the ball to Abigail Latu-Meafou in the circle in the dying moments of the game. Souness’ ability to stand up in such a crucial moment allowed patience and breathing room from the side which, despite a shaky start to the quarter, managed to run away with the one goal victory at home for their first win since Round 1 – also against the Steel.