Whirlwind, Winner, Thistle

Cerys Finn’s rise to Manchester Thunder has been one of the stories of the 2026 Netball Super League season.

From Mavericks and Panthers to Thunder
The 21-year-old Scottish defender began 2026 in London Mavericks’ NXT Gen set-up, captaining the side that won the NXT Gen title. During the season she also gained senior NSL experience with both London Mavericks and Birmingham Panthers as injury cover, building a reputation as one of Scotland’s most promising young defenders.

Thunder’s interest came late in the season when defender Nicola Smith was injured. Finn was brought in as a replacement and spent just a few weeks learning what she later described as the famous “Thunder way”.

Why Thunder wanted her
Although I could not find a direct Karen Greig quote specifically announcing Finn’s arrival, Thunder clearly saw her as a young defender capable of fitting into their high-pressure defensive system. By the time Scotland named its Commonwealth Games squad, Netball Scotland described Finn as one of the country’s brightest defensive prospects, noting she had played 26 consecutive Test matches for the Scottish Thistles since her debut in 2022.

Her athleticism, ability to play both GK and GD, and growing international experience made her a logical injury replacement for a title-chasing Thunder side. [netballscotland.com],

Did she play a part in Thunder’s title win?
Yes — and a bigger one than many expected.
Finn was part of the Thunder squad for the closing stages of the season, including the major semi-final against London Pulse where she was named among the substitutes as Thunder booked a place in the Grand Final.

Then came an extraordinary Grand Final debut.
Against defending champions London Pulse at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena, Finn had not played a single minute for Thunder before the match. Karen Greig introduced her at goal defence at half-time and she immediately won a turnover. Thunder went on to defeat Pulse 54-51 and claim their fifth Super League title. The official NSL report noted that the second-half changes included “an AO Thunder debut for Cerys Finn”, with her introduction helping Thunder regain momentum before they eventually edged out Pulse.

Afterwards Finn said:
“It’s definitely a little bit crazy… I just feel really privileged to get the opportunity to do that, I’ve never met a group that trains harder. They train to be champions.”

On 29 June 2026, Team Scotland named Finn in its 12-player squad for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, where she is set to make her Commonwealth Games debut. She is listed as one of five squad members making their first Games appearance.

For Finn, it was quite a journey: from Mavericks NXT Gen captain, to Panthers cover player, to Thunder injury replacement, to Netball Super League champion in the space of a single season — and now she’s heading to a home Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with Scotland.