The 2024-2025 league campaign began in dramatic fashion, as Riders earned a thrilling overtime victory over Newcastle, Essex and Oaklands secured victory, while Manchester and Sheffield dominated.
Manchester Basketball 96 – 48 London Lions
Championship action tipped off at the National Basketball Performance Centre on Saturday afternoon, as the London Lions travelled north-west to face Manchester Basketball.
The visitors anticipated a tough contest due to recent form and their trepidation was justified in the early stages, as Bride Kennedy-Hopoate jumped out to a red-hot start. The forward combined confident three-point shooting with an authoritative inside presence to earn Manchester a first quarter advantage.
Danni Williams then joined the party and sank a pair of consecutive threes to push the home side ahead by nine points within the opening two minutes, setting the tone for the one-sided affair. Macy Spinks offered a minor lifeline for London, as she made an impact on the boards and scoring eight of her team’s 12 first quarter points. On the other hand, the hosts had built up a point tally of 33 by the end of the opening period.
The following quarter played out in similar fashion, with Maura Fitzpatrick adding a scoring punch from the bench, as Manchester overwhelmed the Lions in every facet of the clash. The away side saw any remaining hope slip away from them as half-time drew closer and when the teams headed to locker rooms, Krumesh Patel’s team led by an enormous 41.
When the teams returned, Manchester tightened their grip over the game. Davida Dale distributed tremendously, finding open shots at will and commanding the boards impressively from the backcourt. Williams wouldn’t let up either, lighting it up from deep in amazingly efficient fashion and punishing London for allowing her an inch of space. Heading into the final ten minutes, the hosts were up by 45.
The fourth quarter was really a case of damage limitation for London. Manchester carried out a highly professional display down the stretch, defending stubbornly despite the significant gap that they continued to widen. Williams made a free in the closing moments, which cemented a 48-point victory for her team.
The win sparked an explosive start to the campaign for Manchester, while London will be forced to regroup heading into week two of the competition.
Most Valuable Player: Danni Williams was electric for Manchester, shooting 7-8 from beyond the arc, scoring 27 points and pulling down 10 rebounds to inspire her team to a dominant W.
Cardiff Met Archers 50 – 108 B. Braun Sheffield Hatters
At the Archers Arena, Cardiff hoped to avoid a similar fate to London, as they welcomed a formidable Sheffield team to the Welsh capital.
Their hopes were dashed soon after tip-off, with Laura Zolper making early buckets to gain an early lead for the visitors. She joined forces with Georgia Gayle, as they widened the gap for Sheffield as the first quarter progressed.
The combination of Abigail Yunker and Laura Shanahan provided buoyancy for Cardiff, as they chipped their way back into the contest toward the end of the opening period, but that’s when the Hatters’ incredible second unit took the baton.
Lashayla Wright-Ponder completed a sequence of offensive plays while Sheffield surged forward once again. The bench dominance continued throughout the remainder of the first quarter, with Nina Krisper, Shauna Harrison and Emma Gandini finding looks to open up a double-digit advantage.
Sheffield upped the aggression further in the second, led by Gayle and Krisper, before Wright-Ponder took over once again, carving her way through the lane and converting with sure-fire precision. When Gandini secured a three toward the end of the half, her team were up by 36 and cruising.
A familiar tale for Cardiff as the second half began, with Wright-Ponder immediately springing back into action for a pair of jump shots to add to the hosts’ suffering. The Archers couldn’t find scoring opportunities, with Sheffield’s swarming defence suffocating them throughout. Heading into the final instalment, Gayle had ensured a gargantuan 50-point difference.
The chasm only grew larger throughout the final quarter, as Sheffield’s bench mob continued to roll down the stretch. When the final buzzer put the home team out of their misery, the Hatters had overcome their opponents by 58 points.
The rout place Sheffield atop the Championship at the earliest stage possible, while Cardiff will try to forget this one as soon as they can.
Most Valuable Player: Lashayla Wright-Ponder headlined the incredible show put on by the Sheffield subs, putting together a 22 point and 10 rebound double-double.
Essex Rebels 77 – 63 Nottingham Wildcats
The Rebels met the Wildcats at the Essex Sports Arena on Saturday, as both teams made a start to their Championship season after mixed results in Betty Codona Trophy group stages. Flying high from recent form, unbeaten Essex had cause for optimism, while Nottingham hoped for a change in fortune entering the league.
The home team took control of the game in the initial stages, as Taylor O’Brien immediately put her stamp on the game with a run of contested jumpers, as Essex leapt out to an early 7-0 lead. Brooke Flowers soon tagged in, forcing her way to the charity stripe and converting to add to the lead.
Midway through the opening period, Nottingham found resistance in the form of Claire Jacobs, who caused problems for the Rebels defence and reduced the deficit. Just before the first break, O’Brien made a tough lay-up and earned a one-point lead.
Early in the second quarter, Jiselle Hava tied the game for the Wildcats when she split a pair of free throws, but that only provoked the Rebels. O’Brien was joined by Maria Blazejewski to push Essex ahead once again, carving their way through the lane at will.
The teams played cat and mouse for the remainder of the half, with the aggressive Ashlee Lewis playing main chaser for Nottingham, who found themselves down by double-digits at the half-time buzzer.
The visitors made a valiant effort at the restart, as Jacobs attacked the Essex defence, but O’Brien came back swinging, reaching into her offensive bag to keep Nottingham at arms’ length. Essex zipped the ball around with fluidity, finding open looks to finish the penultimate quarter up by 15.
Essex tightened their grip in the fourth quarter, controlling the pace of the game and refusing to provide any real light for the road team. Havas and Jacobs made a last minute run to shrink the gap, but it was too late. The Rebels finished the contest up by 14 and made a bright start to their Championship campaign.
Most Valuable Player: Taylor O’Brien dominated for Essex, leading the way with 34 points, nine boards and four assists to secure the W.
Oaklands Wolves 99 – 70 Durham Palatinates
The scene was set at the Oaklands College Sportszone, where the Wolves prepared to face the Palatinates in their Championship openers.
Straight from tip-off, the Wolves jumped ahead, moving the ball impressively and scoring by committee to create an early advantage. Abigail Rafferty spearheaded the offence in the opening period, shooting confidently from beyond the arc to set the tone. Sam Ashby and Maria Albiero took on some of the offensive load for the hosts, attacking the cup to remain ahead for the rest of the first quarter.
Sophie Klassen made an aggressive restart, joining forces with Shanique Lewis to claw their way back into the game and eventually take a one-point lead midway through the second quarter. The scare clearly sprung the Wolves into life; Rafferty cut through the lane to regain the lead for the hosts and Danielle McCray offered an extra punch from the bench, secured the eight-point half-time advantage.
After the break, Oaklands’ core orchestrated the third quarter, holding onto the lead throughout, outworking the visitors on the boards and forcing them into a series of frustrating turnovers through tenacious defensive effort. Moments before the final break, Ashby splashed from deep and regained the crucial double-digit lead.
Durham received a glimmer of light as the final quarter began. Marina Fernandez Pardo quickly secured a pair of baskets that reduced the gap to just six points within minutes. Ashby responded with a trio of makes to prevent a dramatic Palatinates comeback. The visitors huffed and puffed for the duration, but the hosts wouldn’t let up. They piled on the points for the remainder of the contest, scoring 20 points in the final four minutes and somehow finishing the game with a 29-point victory.
The final result does not properly represent the nature of the contest, but that wont matter to the Wolves, who started their season with a free-scoring rout. Durham’s last-minute capitulation will cause concern, but they’ll have an opportunity to bounce back next week against the London Lions.
Most Valuable Player: Abigail Rafferty made the difference for the Wolves, recording 26 points, six rebounds and two assists.
Newcastle Eagles 78 – 82 Leicester Riders
The final instalment of Saturday’s Championship action tipped off at the Vertu Motors Arena, as Newcastle Eagles faced off against visiting Leicester Riders.
The clash began with Leicester on top, with the visitors attacking the paint to earn a 6-0 lead. Newcastle soon responded though, tying the game through a sequence of makes from Tierra Hodges. Back came her namesake however, as Brittany Hodges converted a three-point play to regain the Leicester lead. The Eagles pushed back at the end of the first and Jada Guinn earned one-point lead at the first break.
Lauren Saiki impressed from beyond the arc, shooting with precision to keep the hosts in front for most of the second period. However, Katie Januszewska sank from deep with thirty seconds left in the half for a two-point Leicester lead. Tierra Hodges answered back right away, hitting a mid-range jumper to tie the game for Newcastle, before the teams departed for the locker rooms.
The commanding Julia Chandler regained the lead shortly after the restart, before the teams went blow for blow as the third quarter developed. Both Hodges’ made key buckets, while Kaia Harrison’s creative offensive play kept Leicester within touching distance from a now free-flowing Eagles team. Things remained tight for a while and as the final break arrived, Newcastle were up by just three.
Chandler’s incredible play continued as the fourth quarter began, forcing her way through the lane continuously to give Leicester a slim lead. However, every time the Riders started to widen the gap, the hosts found an answer, tying the contest numerous times down the stretch. Then, with around two minutes remaining, the Eagles leapfrogged their opponents once again, before building up a five-point advantage with just over a minute on the block.
When it mattered the most, Chandler stepped up with a jumper to lessen the deficit for Leicester. Januszewska then provided a steady hand in the clutch, sinking an all-important three in the final minute of regulation to tie the ball game and take this one to overtime.
Januszewska added to her impressive performance by draining vital shots to keep the away team ahead throughout OT. Despite tremendous effort, Newcastle couldn’t get over the line and as the game eventually ended, Leicester secured the four-point win.
Most Valuable Player: Leading an impressive team effort, Julia Chandler logged 14 points, 17 rebounds and four assists on the way to victory.
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