The Women’s British Basketball League will make history this season as for the first time two of its clubs will compete at the highest level of European competition.
After a historic season in 2022/23, which saw London Lions establish domestic dominance where they took home a clean sweep of domestic titles, they will now enter the highly prestigious EuroLeague Women qualifiers for the 2023/24 season. This historic moment marks the first time the Lions have reached this stage – signalling a momentous occasion for women’s sport and emphasising the Lions continued growth on and off the court.
The prestigious EuroLeague Women Qualifiers will see six of Europe’s leading basketball teams compete, with the Lions entering as an unseeded team where they will face either TTT Riga (Latvia), Polkowice (Poland), or DVTK Hun-Therm (Hungary). The games will consist of a home-and-away series, with London hosting the first leg.
London Lions Head Coach, Stella Kaltsidou, will now lead her team towards winning the Qualifiers and achieving historic success in the EuroLeague Women, considered the pinnacle of basketball outside of the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBA) in the US. The Lions have enjoyed growing crowds at the Copper Box Arena in the UK, with a significant step up in the team’s talent contributing to their success and achievement over the season.
Meanwhile, the team that ended the Lions record-breaking 52-game winning streak, Caledonia Gladiators will compete in the FIBA EuroCup Women. Gladiators, coached by Miguel Ortega, will enter the prestigious continental competition in the group stage. This comes as historic news for the organisation, as they become the first Scottish women’s side in modern history to enter European competition.
Last season saw the London Lions compete in the competition, making the first round Playoffs, with Caledonia hoping to enjoy great success on their maiden European campaign. The draw to sort teams in the Regular Season (as well as Qualifiers) will take place in Munich, Germany on August 9. Should London Lions fail to qualify for the EuroLeague Women, they will join Gladiators in the FIBA EuroCup Women Group Stages.
This significant moment is set to accelerate the rising popularity and interest of women’s basketball and sports across the UK, which has already seen record viewership figures and attendances in the previous two seasons. Culminating in a record crowd in attendance at last season’s Playoff finals at The O2.
Emily Clarke, Women’s British Basketball League’s General Manager, said:
“This is a truly historic and momentous moment for women’s basketball in the UK, as both London Lions and Caledonia Gladiators fly the flag for the League in the pinnacle of European basketball. The Lions have already enjoyed fantastic success in EuroCup Women in the previous season and have rightly earned their opportunity to go one step further as they look to qualify for the EuroLeague this season.
“Caledonia Gladiators’ rise has been outstanding for the growth of basketball in Scotland and beyond, as they head for their first opportunity to welcome Europe’s best. We can’t wait for the impact their success will have on generations to come across the country. Women’s basketball is a force to be reckoned with and this news only demonstrates the rapid growth of the sport in recent times. We wish both London Lions and Caledonia Gladiators every success in their respective competitions this season.”