WBBL on the BBC: Lions and Wildcats ready for end of year showdown

All eyes will be fixed on the Copper Box Arena this weekend as BA London Lions welcome Nottingham Wildcats for the final WBBL fixture of the calendar year.

The last Championship contest of 2017 will be available to watch live on BBC Sport.

The home team enter the weekend at the foot of the Championship table still seeking their maiden win of the season. Nottingham, however, arrive in the capital full of confidence having secured a spot in the Cup Final with a spectacular fourth quarter showing last weekend.

Leading the charge for the visitors is Ashley Harris. The reigning MVP is putting together another magnificent campaign: topping the league in scoring (23.7 PPG) and ranking second in rebounds (10.3 RPG) and third in blocks (1 BPG) respectively.

For Harris the BBC Sport cameras come at a good time for the Wildcats.

“We didn’t start off the season the way that we would have liked but we have made some positive strides lately with huge Cup wins against Sevenoaks and Leicester.

“I think a lot of it has come down to finding our groove and learning how to play with one another. We still have a long way to go but we are definitely heading in the right direction.

“The increased exposure provided by BBC Sport will hopefully inspire a lot of young girls. Finding different ways to increase the profile of women’s basketball is crucial.

“We’re all excited to perform in front of a worldwide audience, particularly those of us with family across the pond.”

Despite a head-to-head record of 0-6 against Nottingham across all previous Championship encounters the home side are hopeful they can end the year on a high note.

“We’re young, energetic and hungry for our first win,” declared Lions forward Christina Gaskin.

“We were hugely disappointed in our performance last time out. Our training this week has reflected that and we’ve taken our preparations up to a new intensity.

“If we stick to our game plan, take efficient shots and bring energy on both ends of the court we can definitely be competitive against Nottingham.”

WBBL Fixtures Friday

BA London Lions v Nottingham Wildcats – 5:04PM

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