Pulse goal shoot Amelia Walmsley. Photo: Photosport
The top-of-the-table Central Pulse have been handed a huge injury blow, with goal shooter Amelia Walmsley sidelined with knee ligament damage for at least eight weeks.
The 20-year-old Silver Fern is the latest star player to join a growing ANZ Premiership casualty ward, with Mystics shooter Grace Nweke out for up to six weeks with a strained patella tendon.
Veteran Steel midcourter Shannon Saunders was last week ruled out for the remainder of the season with a knee cartilage tear. Pulse midcourter Maddy Gordon has ankle ligament damage while goal shooter Tiana Metuarau has an ongoing foot problem.
And Tactix shooter Aliyah Dunn's recent knee surgery has seen her miss the entire season for the Canterbury side.
Grace Nweke of the Mystics during the ANZ Netball Premiership round 6 match between the Magic in Rotorua. Photo: Photosport
Slipping on the court in last weekend's top of the table clash against the Tactix, Walmsley's knee was placed in a compromised position with subsequent scans revealing ligament damage, which will rule her out for up to eight weeks.
A key cog in the Pulse attack line, it was a devastating blow for the 20-year-old whose short career has continued to gain momentum over the last couple of years.