AS 2020’s Grand Final MVP, Mwai Kumwenda is a force to be reckoned with. The 31-year-old shooter from Malawi has certainly made a name for herself not only here in Australia, but around the world.

In the second last round of the 2018, Kumwenda’s season was ended early with a devastating knee injury. Following a knee reconstruction, she sat out for the majority of the 2019 season, only returning in Round 10.

Shooting alongside Tegan Philip and Caitlin Thwaites during 2020, Kumwenda put on a stellar performance at the Suncorp Super Netball Grand Final, deservedly earning herself MVP of the match as well as gaining the trophy.

Kumwenda’s strong hold is a big part of her game. While her goal attack seems to do all the work out front, Kumwenda remains calm and waits patiently for the ball to come her way, holding the space in a way the her opponents just can not conquer.

She is also not super tall at 183 centimetres in height, therefore she must maintain this strong hold in order to get the ball over her tall defenders.

As a predominately short range shooter, Kumwenda didn’t incorporate much of the Super Shot into her game last year. However, it appeared she really didn’t need to; it didn’t effect the scoreline of the Vixens much at all, as long as she was still putting up the one-pointers. And put them up she did, maintaining an average of over 90 percent accuracy over the whole season – 475 attempts with 432 making it through the ring.

While Kumwenda has proven to be a top goaler in herself, the understanding she had with both Thwaites and Philip in the ring was something special, and may be hard for her to replicate straight away. With both Thwaites and Philip retiring at the end of the 2020, it will be interesting to see how Kumwenda blends with their replacements in Kaylia Stanton and Ruby Barkmeyer this season.

The Vixen’s open the season taking on West Coast Fever in a grand final rematch on May 1st at John Caine Arena.