The 2026/27 SLB Women’s Championship is underway, and all 10 teams featured in an action-packed weekend.
There were dominant wins across the board alongside some excellent individual performances in what is sure to be another brilliant season of basketball.
Cardiff Met Archers 64-103 B. Braun Sheffield Hatters
B. Braun Sheffield Hatters opened the 2026/27 season with a dominant 103-64 victory over Cardiff Met Archers in the Welsh capital.
The 2025/26 quadruple winners controlled the contest from start to finish, with most of their work coming close to the basket as they scored 68 paint points and shot 59% on two pointers.
Sheffield began the game with a 21-5 run to open up a sizeable lead, with a much closer second quarter seeing Cardiff trail by 13 at the half. However, the Met Archers were unable to shrink that gap any further, and an 18-2 spurt in the final five minutes of play gave the Hatters a resounding win.
Five Sheffield players scored at least 16 points, with Nina Krisper leading the way with a 23-point, 10-rebound performance on 83% shooting. Tia Morgan had 21 of her own off the bench, and Rachel Cockman also notched a double-double with 18 points and 12 boards, whilst Laila Anderson put up 23 for the Archers.
Player of the Game: Nina Krisper (Sheffield Hatters)
Nottingham Wildcats 50-94 Oaklands Wolves
Oaklands Wolves began their campaign with a comfortable 94-50 win against Nottingham Wildcats.
Nottingham were held to just five points in the first quarter by the Oaklands defence, and a 27-point lead after 10 minutes was always going to be tough to come back from.
Despite winning the second quarter 23-18, the Wildcats were limited to just 49 shot attempts all game, and steady scoring from the Wolves allowed them to grow their lead to as much as 45 points around halfway through the final period.
For the away side, Summah Evans dominated with 24 points and 11 rebounds and captain Shanice Beckford-Norton added a further 16. Mariam Olowoyin was the top scorer for Nottingham with 12 points, but no other Wildcat managed to score double-digits in what was a tough evening for the home team.
Player of the Game: Summah Evans (Oaklands Wolves)
Manchester Basketball 100-73 London Lions
An excellent showing from beyond-the-arc saw Manchester Basketball take down London Lions 100-73 at the National Basketball Performance Center.
The hosts shot an incredible 18-38 (47%) from three-point range, with five players all knocking down three triples each, and unselfish ball movement saw them register 31 assists on their 32 made field-goals.
They also showed active hands on the defensive side of the ball, stealing the ball 12 times and forcing London into 23 turnovers.
The returning duo of Maaja Bratka and Veera Pirttinen combined for 38 points, with the former putting up 20 in just under 22 minutes of play.
For the Lions, Amaris Baker showed out on her SLB debut, posting 29 points, 10 rebounds and five steals, whilst Chloe Wilson, also making her debut, scored 20 points to go alongside nine boards. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome an all-around team performance from their opponents.
Player of the Game: Veera Pirttinen (Manchester Basketball)
Caledonia Gladiators 86-57 Essex Rebels
Caledonia Gladiators started their season off in the win column by defeating Essex Rebels 86-57.
The game started as a back-and-forth contest early in the first quarter, with the Caledonia lead at eight heading into the second, but that margin jumped to 17 as the sides entered the break.
The lead would continue to grow throughout the second half and it was a positive start for a Caledonia team that ended last season with the joint-best regular season record.
MJ Johnson impressed on debut for the Scottish outfit, scoring 22 points on 9-14 shooting to go with 7 boards, and Frannie Hottinger tallied 17 points and 13 rebounds.
There was also a huge double-double for Essex courtesy of Alexa Mikeska, with the guard pouring in 17 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in addition to having four steals.
Player of the Game: MJ Johnson (Caledonia Gladiators)
Leicester Riders 70-91 Newcastle Eagles
All five starters scored double-digit points for the Newcastle Eagles as they rounded off the weekend’s action with a 91-70 win against Leicester Riders.
A 14-0 run in the first quarter had the Eagles in control early, and at the half they had double their opponents’ score, leading 54-27.
Leicester did win both quarters in the second half but by just three points each, and the early lead Newcastle built proved crucial.
Maddy Hinton led all scorers with 20 points and Nala Williams stuffed the stat sheet in almost every department, putting up 19 points, eight boards, six assists and six steals.
Three women had double-doubles, with those being Mercy Ademusayo and Louisa Gibbins for the Riders and Cordasia Harris for the Eagles, and it brought an end to a brilliant first week of action.
Player of the Game: Nala Williams
You can stay up to date by following Super League Basketball on social media and watch all the action live on the SLB YouTube channel.