Wallam Watch: Harvey sharpshooter overwhelmed by Lightning defence, secures Diamonds reserves spot

Despite falling just short of a strong finish to the Queensland Firebirds’ 2023 Suncorp Super Netball campaign, Harvey’s Donnell Wallam has been granted a reserve spot for the upcoming Netball World Cup. The 29-year-old was announced as the reserve shooter as the Australian Diamonds revealed their final squad ahead of the 2023 Netball World Cup, set to take place in Cape Town from July 28 to August 6. It comes after Wallam’s second Suncorp Super Netball season came to an end on Sunday as the Firebirds fell just short of defeating the Sunshine Coast Lightning 66-60 at UniSC Arena. The Firebirds started strongly with plenty of defensive pressure, taking the early lead. Wallam sunk the first super shot of the game and showed flair during the second quarter, nailing a shot as she fell out of court to help the Firebirds extend their lead. As the Lightning upped the ante in defence during the second half, Wallam was called to the bench, but was soon re-entered to drain a crucial super shot to shave the margin to nine goals. Despite Wallam nailing several super shots, it was not enough to hold off the Lightning, who came away with a six-goal win. Wallam finished with 35 goals from 42 shots, eight super shots, three rebounds, two feeds and 13 turnovers.