Familiar faces lead the WBBL All-Star 5 after a quiet weekend with only three games, as Sune Swart, Karly Murphy and Ashley Arlen all feature again following wins for Essex Rebels, Sheffield Hatters and Leicester Riders respectively.
Sune Swart – Essex Rebels
Essex forward Sune Swart features in the All-Star 5 for the second week in a row after Rebels made it back-to-back wins by beating Newcastle Eagles on the road at Vertu Motors Arena. Averaging a double-double for the season, she had her fourth in a row with 15 points on 5-6 (83%) interior scoring to go with 12 rebounds, as well as four steals and four blocks in a strong defensive stand from Rebels on the road. After a good start to the game, they trailed heading down the stretch until Swart scored five points in a row to put them back in front on a steal and a score within the last three minutes.
Karly Murphy – Sheffield Hatters
American forward Karly Murphy moves joint-top of the overall leaderboard as she makes her third All-Star 5 showing in the opening seven weeks, leading Hatters to a bounce-back win over rivals Sevenoaks Suns and a 4-1 record so far. She shot 10-14 (71%) from the field for her 22 points, adding nine rebounds and three assists, with a massive 10 points and six boards in the fourth quarter as Sheffield won the decisive period 29-16 to settle an otherwise tight game.
Ashley Arlen – Leicester Riders
Featuring for the second time this season, but first since the opening weekend, Leicester forward Ashley Arlen continued her good form as Riders went top of the WBBL Championship with a 5-1 record after a win on the road at Durham Palatinates. The team’s captain scored 24 points in 24 minutes, shooting 6-8 (75%) inside and 6-7 (85%) at the free-throw line, while also grabbing eight rebounds, including 12 points in a first quarter that Riders won 26-6 to set the tone.
Beth Sarson – Leicester Riders
Another big performer in that win for Riders was former Great Britain u20 guard Beth Sarson, who joined in the summer after five previous seasons in the WBBL and gains weekly honours for the first time this term. Coming from the bench, she hit 4-5 (80%) three-pointers on her way to 18 points in 21 minutes, with three assists and three steals, including consecutive triples midway through the third quarter in what was otherwise Leicester’s only dry spell in a dominant performance, and another pair in quick succession as they pulled away in the fourth.
Georgia Gayle – Sheffield Hatters
Another familiar face in the WBBL who also makes her first appearance of the 2022-23 campaign is Great Britain international guard Georgia Gayle, who had her best performance of the season so far in Sheffield’s win at Sevenoaks. She scored 18 points on 6-10 (60%) shooting, including 3-6 (50%) from long range as currently the league’s ninth-best three-point shooter. After trailing early on, she hit back-to-back threes in under 20 seconds to start the second as Hatters tied the game before the break, and added another midway through the third to cap an 11-2 burst that gave them the lead for good.
Off the bench: Antoinette Lewis (Newcastle Eagles), Julia Koppl (Sevenoaks Suns), Elle Hendershot (Durham Palatinates), Daniela Turner (Essex Rebels), Judit Fritz (Sevenoaks Suns), Chloe Gaynor (Newcastle Eagles), Jess Wayne (Durham Palatinates).