| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Maia Wilson | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1997-09-21)21 September 1997 (age 28) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||
| School | Mount Albert Grammar School | |||||||||||||||||||
| University | Massey University | |||||||||||||||||||
| Netball career | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Maia Kahurangi Wilson[1] (born 21 September 1997) is aNew Zealand netball international. She was a member of theNew Zealand teams that won the2017 Netball World Youth Cup and the2021 Constellation Cup. She also represented New Zealand at the2022 Commonwealth Games. Wilson made her senior league debut withCentral Pulse during the2016 ANZ Championship season. Since2017, she has played forNorthern Stars in theANZ Premiership. In both2018 and2019, she was the ANZ Premiership top goal scorer. Wilson was a prominent member of the2019 and2022 Northern Stars teams that were ANZ Premiership grand finalists. Ahead of the2021 season, she was appointed Stars captain. Wilson is also a formerNew Zealand women's basketball international.
Wilson is aMāori withTe Rarawa,Te Waiohua,Te Ākitai Waiohua andNgāti Te Ata Waiohua affiliations.[2][3][4] She was born inAuckland.[5][6] She is the daughter of Joe and Kārena Wilson. She has one brother, Kahikatea. Her father died in 2016 from a brain tumor.[3][7][8] She attendedMount Albert Grammar School, representing the school at both netball and basketball.[9][10][11][12][13] Between 2016 and 2022 she attendedMassey University. In May 2022, she graduated with a Bachelor of Communication, majoring in Public Relations, with a minor in Media Studies.[3][14]
Wilson played basketball forMount Albert Grammar School in school competitions and for Waitakere West Lady Rangers in club competitions.[9][12][15][16] In 2015 she was offered a basketball scholarship to theUniversity of Idaho, but turned it down when she was offered a netball contract withCentral Pulse.[12][13]
In August 2014, Wilson played forNew Zealand in a four-nation tournament inChina.[12][15][16] She also represented New Zealand at the2014 FIBA Oceania Under-18 Championship for Women.[17]
Wilson was selected for theMount Albert Grammar School senior A team while still in Year 9, her first year at the school. Between 2012 and 2015, together withErikana Pedersen andJamie-Lee Price, Wilson was a member of MAGS teams that won four successive New Zealand Secondary School netball titles.[9][18][19][20][21] The MAGS team was coached byTe Aroha Keenan.[22] While still attending MAGS, Wilson signed a contract withCentral Pulse and was invited to attend trials with the seniorNew Zealand team.[11][13][23][24][25][26][27] During the 2015 NZSS tournament, Wilson scored 230 from 252 as she helped MAGS win a fourth successive title. She scored 36 from 39 as MAGS beatSaint Kentigern College 41–35 in the final. This was her last game for MAGS.[23]
Ahead of the2016 ANZ Championship season, Wilson signed forCentral Pulse.[11][25][26][27][23] Following an injury toJodi Brown, Wilson became a regular starter, playing alongsideAmeliaranne Wells. She made her senior league debut with Pulse in aRound 1 match againstWaikato Bay of Plenty Magic, scoring 34 from 38 in a 57–56 win.[28][29][30][31] Wilson played just one season with Pulse, making 13 appearances and scoring 412 from 447 with a 92% success rate.[5][32][33][34]
Since2017, Wilson has played forNorthern Stars in theANZ Premiership.[5][35] In2018 she was the ANZ Premiership top goal scorer. She scored 566 from 633 with an 89% success rate.[36] On 31 March 2019, Wilson made her 50th senior league appearance while playing for Stars againstNorthern Mystics.[37] In2019, Wilson was again the ANZ Premiership top goal scorer. She scored 619 from 743 with an 83% success rate.[38] Her goals helped the2019 Northern Stars reach the grand final.[39][40][41][42] Ahead of the2021 season, Wilson was appointed Stars captain.[21][43][44][45] On 22 May 2022, Wilson made her 100th senior league appearance while playing for Stars in a2022 Round 11 against Mystics.[33][46] Wilson subsequently captained Stars to a second grand final.[47][48][49][50]
In 2015 and 2016, Wilson was invited to attend trials with the seniorNew Zealand team.[11][26][51][52] She made her senior debut, aged just 19, on 14 September 2016 during a2016 Taini Jamison Trophy Series match againstJamaica. Coming on in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, Wilson made an immediate impact, slotting her first shot on goal and going on to net three goals on debut.[53][54][55][56][57][58][59] She was subsequently a member of the New Zealand team that won the2017 Netball World Youth Cup.[60][61]
In the opening match of the2020 Netball Nations Cup, Wilson, in just her 11th test and second start, scored 27 from 29 againstEngland.[62][63][64] In the second match against Jamaica she scored 42 from 45 in a 71–45 win.[65] She finished the tournament scoring 137 from 151 with a 91% success rate.[8][66] During the2020 Taini Jamison Trophy Series against England, Wilson scored 116 from 127 with a 91% success rate.[67] She was a prominent member of the New Zealand team that won the2021 Constellation Cup. She scored 140 from 161 with an 87% success rate and was the only New Zealand player to play all 240 minutes over the series.[21][68][69][70] On 6 October 2024, Wilson made her 50th senior appearance for New Zealand in the2024 Taini Jamison Trophy Series.[71]
Source:[104]
| Grand finals | Team | Place | Opponent | Goals (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2019[40][41] | Northern Stars | Runners up | Central Pulse |  34/41 (83%) |
| 2 | 2022[49][50] | Northern Stars | Runners up | Central Pulse | 21/25 (84%) |
| Season | Team | G/A | GA | RB | CPR | FD | IC | DF | PN | TO | MP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Pulse | 412/447 (92%)[5] | 13[33] | ||||||||
| 2017 | Stars | 434/496 (88%)[6] | ? | 22 | 0 | ? | 0 | 5 | 29 | 79 | 15 |
| 2018 | Stars | 566/633 (89%)[36] | ? | 19 | 0 | ? | 1 | 6 | 29 | 100 | 15 |
| 2019 | Stars | 619/743 (83%)[38] | 15 | 27 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 9 | 38 | 122 | 17 |
| 2020 | Stars | 461/513 (90%)[105] | 16 | 19 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 5 | 20 | 56 | 13 |
| 2021 | Stars | 483/594 (81%)[34] | 16 | 39 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 8 | 29 | 94 | 15 |
| 2022 | Stars | 574/662 (87%) | 16 | 32 | 0 | 32 | 2 | 6 | 23 | 87 | 17 |
| 2023 | Stars | 0/0 | |||||||||
| Career | |||||||||||
Wilson has been open about her pastbody image struggles starting from her teenage years.[106][107] Wilson trains out ofPeach Boxing withIsaac Peach to help with fitness.[108]
