Nottingham Wildcats lead the latest WBBL All-Star 5 after a crucial run of three big wins in the space of a week that have propelled them back into the Play-off places and all the way up to sixth place in the WBBL Championship. They sit alongside two other Play-off challengers, and the league’s overall appearances leader.

Praise Egharevba – Nottingham Wildcats
Nottingham’s week started with an upset home win over title-chasing Sevenoaks Suns as Praise Egharevba put up a double-double before half time on her way to a fourth All-Star 5 appearance, and second in three weeks, as she’s into the top ten among all players. Wildcats were in control from the early stages and led from tip-to-buzzer as she had 15 points and 13 rebounds by the half, finishing with 17 and a huge haul of 20 boards including eight at the offensive end, with three of those leading to seven second chance points in a 30-point first quarter against the league’s best defence.

Brooklyn Pannell – Nottingham Wildcats
Like her teammate, the league’s leading scorer Brooklyn Pannell makes her fourth appearance of the campaign after pouring in 89 points across three games in just five days last week, making a winning contribution in all of them at an average just shy of 30 points per game. Highest of all, she scored 35 points in a crucial win over Durham Palatinates, whose position in the Play-offs Wildcats took, shooting 12-18 (66%) from the field and 9-10 (90%) at the free-throw line, with six rebounds and three steals. That included eight points in a second quarter run that gave them a double-figure lead and a further 12 in the third period as they built a cushion that they needed to hold off a fightback.

Jo Leedham-Warner – London Lions
Lions remain unbeaten at the top of the WBBL Championship table, and Jo Leedham-Warner makes her tenth appearance in the All-Star 5 as the only player to have reached double-figures, now three clear of her nearest rival. This one comes as a result of an efficient 22 points on 9-11 (81%) shooting and a perfect 7-7 inside as London went through the century against Gloucester City Queens. In just 23 minutes of action, she added five steals, four rebounds and three assists, scoring seven points in a first quarter that they won 33-7 including an ‘and-one’ to open the game and two scores directly off steals to set the tone.

Laken James – Caledonia Pride
Caledonia’s star American guard makes her second appearance of the season and second in consecutive weeks, in keeping with Pride’s outstanding run of form that has seen nine wins in the last ten games as they temporarily moved up to fifth place by beating Essex Rebels. James had 25 points and nine rebounds as they led throughout after she opened with a three-pointer and sparked a 12-4 start, doing likewise among 11 second quarter points that gave them a big double-digit lead.

Jessica Wayne – Durham Palatinates
Another team right in the Play-off hunt are the ninth-placed Durham Palatinates, as Jessica Wayne features in the weekly team for the third time this season. She scored 22 points in a crucial win over now eighth-placed Manchester Met Mystics, shooting 5-7 (71%) from three-point range, with six rebounds and three steals. That included a key three-pointer in the sensational 13-0 finish to the game that broke a tie and sealed the win, and a trio of triples in quick succession among 12 first quarter points as Palatinates initially built a lead that they could protect.

Off the bench: Layne Murphy (Newcastle Eagles), Shannon Hatch (Cardiff Met Archers), Hannah Robb (Leicester Riders), Elle Hendershot (Durham Palatinates), Anna Lappenkuper (Leicester Riders), Shanice Beckford-Norton (London Lions), Helen Naylor (Sheffield Hatters).