The first WBBL All-Star 5 of the post-season includes a pair of London 2012 Olympians after London Lions were dominant, alongside a former WBBL Play-off Final MVP who came up big when it mattered for Sevenoaks Suns.
Jo Leedham-Warner – London Lions
The top-seeded Lions remained unbeaten for the season and cruised into the Play-off semi-finals with a comprehensive defeat of Durham Palatinates, leading to an 11th All-Star 5 appearance for Jo Leedham-Warner, four clear of any other player in the league. She did everything in just 23 minutes of action, finishing with 17 points on 7-10 (70%) shooting, with eight rebounds, six assists and five steals, including eight points, three steals and a block as Lions astonishingly won the second quarter 28-3.
Cat Carr – Sevenoaks Suns
The second seed Sevenoaks Suns, three-time WBBL Play-off champions, had to come from behind to beat Essex Rebels and secure their progression to the semi-finals on Sunday, behind a near triple-double from Cat Carr as she makes her seventh All-Star 5 showing, joint-second among all players. She finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists as Suns trailed for over 30 minutes of the game, until Carr scored 10 points in a 19-3 fourth quarter push that settled the contest.
Azania Stewart – London Lions
The other London Olympian who dominated for Lions, alongside her teammate, was Azania Stewart, leading to a second All-Star 5 selection of the season for the centre. She posted a double-double of 10 points and 15 rebounds, with eight of those boards coming at the offensive end as Lions scored 19 second chance points, seven of which came directly from her work on the glass. She also had four assists, a steal and a block.
Jahnae Gyles – Nottingham Wildcats
Wildcats overcame their higher-placed East Midlands rivals, Leicester Riders, in the Play-off quarter-finals on Sunday, leading to a third All-Star 5 appearance for Jahnae Gyles and a first for ten weeks. She came from the bench to pour in 20 points, including 4-8 (50%) three-point shooting, grabbing nine rebounds, handing out four assists and nabbing two steals. That included eight points in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter as Wildcats won the game with a decisive 16-6 spell.
Laken James – Caledonia Pride
Another lower seed that prevailed was the in-form Caledonia Pride who, have now won 11 of their last 13 games, beating Sheffield Hatters on the road as Laken James gains weekly honours for the third time, all coming in the last four weeks. She had a team-high 18 points on 8-13 (61%) interior shooting, with seven assists and six rebounds, including seven points and three assists during a third quarter in which they got in front, as well as the opening bucket of the fourth period and two key assists for Erin McGarrahan to keep them in front late on.
Off the bench: Helen Naylor (Sheffield Hatters), Anna Lappenkuper (Leicester Riders), Praise Egharevba (Nottingham Wildcats), Oceana Hamilton (Leicester Riders), Janice Monakana (Sevenoaks Suns), Sian Phillips (Caledonia Pride), Georgia Gayle (Sheffield Hatters).