Maia Wilson

New Zealand shooter and former Tall Ferns basketball player who became a Silver Fern at 19 and the youngest-ever national league captain.

Maia Kahurangi Wilson was born on 21 September 1997 in Auckland, of Māori descent affiliating with Te Rarawa, Te Waiohua, Te Ākitai Waiohua and Ngāti Te Ata. Having already represented New Zealand in basketball, she joined Central Pulse in her first year out of school in 2016 and became a Silver Fern by the end of that debut elite season at just 19. Wilson became a foundation player for the newly formed Northern Stars in 2017, going on to be the ANZ Premiership's top goal scorer in both 2018 and 2019, and was appointed the youngest captain at the elite level in New Zealand netball when given the Stars captaincy in 2021. She was a non-travelling reserve for the 2019 World Cup, finally making her tournament debut in 2023 in South Africa, and helped the Silver Ferns win bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Wilson spoke openly in 2021 about her struggles with body image during her netball career, helping to normalise conversations about the topic in elite sport. After nine seasons as the Stars' anchor shooter, she moved across town to the Northern Mystics for the 2026 ANZ Premiership season, bringing over 50 Test caps and extensive leadership experience to a new shooting partnership.

Unflappable, accurate shooter with strong netballing nous, capable of switching between a holding and moving game

Regarded as one of New Zealand's most reliable and composed shooters, and admired for her openness about body image struggles in elite sport

• Commonwealth Games Bronze 2022
• 2018, 2019 ANZ Premiership top goal scorer
• 2017 World Youth Cup winner (NZ U21)
• Youngest-ever national league captain (Northern Stars, 2021)