The 2024 Netball Super League finalists will be named on Saturday. Manchester Thunder, Severn Stars, Loughborough Lightning and London Pulse are all in action; Stream the semi-finals live on YouTube, NOW & Sky Sports Mix from 3.30pm
Saturday 22 June 2024 07:29, UK
Loughborough Lightning will be hoping to reach a third consecutive Super League final with eyes on retaining the title when they host London Pulse in the play-off semi-finals.
Lightning are the reigning Super League champions, winning the title for the second time in their history in 2023. They beat London Pulse in last season's Grand Final.
This year, Vic Burgess' side confirmed their home semi-final with a 72-60 win over Severn Stars in their final game of the regular season. Lightning will take on a Pulse side who still await their first Super League title.
On the other side of the draw, four-time winners Manchester Thunder host Severn Stars with eyes on reaching the final in search of their fifth and record Super League triumph.
Thunder finished top of the pack in the Super League with only a single defeat. Conversely, Severn Stars have exceeded expectations by securing their first-ever semi-final spot. Both form and history suggest Thunder are the probable winners but their centre, Taylor McKevitt believes that outside noise hasn't heaped pressure on the Thunder squad.
"It's a huge compliment to be considered favourites," McKevitt told the Sky Sports Off The Court Podcast.
"I think we don't think about the pressure from other people. It's more the pressure we put on ourselves. We obviously want to win and we want to perform, but we want to make sure we're performing for each other and all the hard work we've all done this season and all the work the coaches have put into us this season.
"60 minutes can make or break you, but I think it's just about going back to our processes. I feel like the leaders in the team are really good at grounding us."
Niamh Cooper lost at the same stage in last year's semi-final when she was at Surrey Storm, now at Stars, the centre says her and her team-mates are very much embracing their role as the minnows in the tie and despite six losses this season, winning the title is a firm aim.
"The goal for Stars this year was to come fourth and to be in the semi-final and we'd been very open in saying that," Cooper said.
"Once you've got to it, then you want the next thing, you want to battle, you want to win the thing. You're this far and that's the new goal.
"With Storm last year, I played a very different role. I was probably more of an impact player. But, there was an awful lot of focus on it for loads of weeks leading up to it because we were confirmed semi-finalists quite early on last year, and I don't know whether that built quite a heavy pressure on us. We were still quite high favourites to win. It feels like a very different position this time.
"We're everyone's favourite underdog - So, hopefully, this weekend's our weekend."
Lightning centre Nat Panagarry made her Super League debut in 2013 and since joining the team she has also won two Super League titles and competed in the grand final on four occasions.
"I feel really lucky to say that we've been involved in so many finals," the 33-year-old told the Sky Sports Off The Court Podcast.
"I suppose it does come down to Karen Atkinson and Olivia Murphy. They instilled the culture when I first arrived about eight years ago, and ever since then we've managed to make that top four and have that spot. So I think for us as girls, we never take anything for granted.
"Being involved in this league is exactly what you want to do. You want to be in finals, you want to keep going and you want to experience it as players. It's what you're working forward to all year round. For us, none of that is taken for granted - we're all still enjoying it."
Pulse's Izzi Phillips was seven years old when Panagarry began her netball career. The centre will be taking a break from her A-level exams to compete after a breakout season has seen her thrust into the spotlight as one of English netball's true prospects at age 18.
Phillips will go from trying and failing to get tickets to last year's final to competing for the title this year.
"It's such a full circle moment," she said.
"It being my debut season and then getting all the way to the semis as well, I feel like it really adds the icing on the cake to this whole season.
"I like seeing how I get to respond in these high-pressure moments where I may not have been in or experienced before. And I just think, wow. Looking back, I can't believe it.
"We're just going to stay cool, calm, collected and stick to what we know, back each other and just trust in ourselves. Bring it on!"
Stream the Netball Super League semi-finals live on YouTube, NOW & Sky Sports Mix from 3.30pm on Saturday. With NOW get Instant access to live action from the Premier League, EFL, F1, England Cricket and so much more.
