Leicester Riders’ forward Ashley Arlen has been recognised for an impressive run of form with the Molten WBBL Player of the Month award for February, as she has captained her team to three wins in the month resulting in a climb to top spot in the WBBL Championship and an upcoming Betty Codona WBBL Trophy semi-final appearance.

The former Molten WBBL Player of the Year in 2016-17, and three-time Molten WBBL Team of the Year selection, is in her first season with Riders after returning to these shores from a campaign in Sweden last time out, and she has picked up where she left off with Leicester now unbeaten in the league in nine games dating all the way back to October.

Impressive at both ends of the floor and doing a bit of everything for her team, Arlen has averaged 21 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals per game in February, shooting an impressive 36% from three-point range and 88% at the free-throw line. She made back-to-back appearances in the weekly WBBL All-Star 5, featuring for the fifth time this season which is third among all players.

Most notably, Riders progressed to the Betty Codona WBBL Trophy semi-finals with a tough 54-44 defeat of top four rivals Caledonia Gladiators, with Arlen scoring 17 points including 9-10 (90%) shooting at the free-throw line – proving crucial in a hard-fought defensive game where both teams struggled to score.

In WBBL Championship play, Riders are now top of the table with an 11-1 record after a pair of wins in February and another on the first day of March, as Arlen finished last month by posting a double-double – her fourth of the season – of 24 points and 10 rebounds, along with five assists and three steals in victory over Cardiff Met Archers; following 22 points on 7-10 (70%) shooting to help beat Oaklands Wolves.

Overall, she is tenth in the WBBL in scoring (16.3 points per game), fifth in defensive rebounds (7.0), eighth in blocks (1.0), eighth in three-point shooting (36.7%) and second in free-throw percentage (81.3%).

Arlen now leads her team into a big month of March, as they host title rivals in the third-placed Sevenoaks Suns in the WBBL Championship, before facing Newcastle Eagles in the Betty Codona WBBL Trophy semi-finals.