Kumwenda will replace Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, who is unavailable for the season after announcing she is expecting her second child.
The former Melbourne Vixen will be no stranger to the Green Army from her 135 National League Games and 4,598 goals following her debut in 2014. She was also the Grand Final MVP for the Vixens in their 2020 Grand Final win over Fever in Brisbane.
She sat out of SSN Season 2024 due to pregnancy and subsequently gave birth to her first child in July this year.
West Coast Fever Head Coach Dan Ryan said it was a great result to secure an athlete of Kumwenda’s calibre and experience at this point in time.
“As a club, we are thrilled to be able to provide her with this opportunity and support her as she returns to professional netball after the birth of her first child. She’s a fierce competitor and I know she’s up for the challenge to get back to her best,” Ryan said.
“She’s a proven performer on the SSN court and she knows what it takes to be a winner. I’ve always admired her tenacity, grit and passion and I think those attributes are going to be really important for us next season. She’s a great fit for our team and I can’t wait to see what kind of impact she can have.”
Kumwenda said she was very excited to be joining West Coast Fever.
“I am looking forward to this new chapter of my career and moving over to Perth to join West Coast Fever,” she said.
“I am going to embrace the challenge of covering for the best shooter in the world. Jhaniele has set the standards at SSN-level for a long time and I am looking forward to being able to work with her and my new teammates and Dan Ryan in the Fever environment.
“I cannot wait to step out on the court in front of my new family, the Green Army, at RAC Arena in our Round One game against the Swifts.”
Ryan said Fever needed to be open minded about what they will look like in 2025 following the announcement from Fowler-Nembhard.
“Jhaniele is irreplaceable in so many ways so in filling this position we needed to think differently about how we could play the game and most importantly really embrace the challenge of change together.
“Mwai provides us with a strong target in our shooting circle which is familiar for us, but her movement and variety allows us to really evolve our game and do things differently which is going to be a great challenge for everyone.”
Mwai Kumwenda
89 International Caps for Malawi
2015 Netball World Cup Player of the Tournament
135 National League Games
4,598 National League Goals
National League Clubs: Mainland Tactix 2014-16 and Melbourne Vixens 2017-2024
2020 SSN Grand Final MVP
2017 SSN Team of the Year Goal Shooter
