Winners announced for Molten WBBL All-British Team of the Year

The Molten WBBL All-British Team of the Year, as voted by WBBL head coaches and captains, includes generations of Great Britain national team talent and includes Holly Winterburn moving joint-second in all-time appearances, alongside the WBBL’s leading scorer who returns to the team after a four-year absence.

Georgia Gayle – B. Braun Sheffield Hatters

Guard Georgia Gayle turned in some excellent performances for Great Britain in EuroBasket Qualifiers this season, and in her fifth WBBL campaign with her hometown B. Braun Sheffield Hatters she gains All-British recognition for the first time. Hatters finished fourth in the WBBL Championship, with Gayle eighth among all players in assists at 4.6 per game to go with her 12.7 points, while she posted career-highs for assists, steals (1.8 per game) and field goal percentage (43.1%), shooting an outstanding 90.9% from the free-throw line. She had a season best 26 points, eight rebounds and three assists in a January road win at Cardiff Met Archers, and put up 21 points, six assists, six rebounds and five steals in the Betty Codona WBBL Trophy quarter-final – a competition named in honour of her grandmother.

Chantelle Handy – Caledonia Gladiators

London 2012 Olympian Chantelle Handy – who still represents Great Britain, featuring in EuroBasket Qualifiers this season – landed back in the WBBL at Caledonia Gladiators after five years away as her glittering career continued to take her all over the globe, now featuring in the Molten WBBL All-British Team of the Year for the first time. Adding veteran leadership to Caledonia’s highest ever finish of second, she averaged 12.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game, finishing third in the WBBL for total three-pointers made (48) and fifth in three-point percentage (40.7%). Highlights included 17 points as Gladiators were the only team this season, and the first in over 50 games, to topple London Lions; while in April she hit a season-high 7-11 (64%) from beyond the arc in a crucial road win at Sevenoaks Suns in the top four race.

Erin McGarrachan – Caledonia Gladiators

Great Britain international forward and Cumbernauld native Erin McGarrachan returned to play in her home country for the second season in a row, producing career-best numbers as she captained Caledonia Gladiators to their best ever WBBL Championship finish of second place. She led the team’s balanced scoring effort with 14.7 points per game, adding 5.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.1 steals, ranking second in the WBBL for field goal percentage (53.9%) and eighth in steals. In February at the Copper Box Arena, Gladiators became the first team in over 50 games – and the only team this season – to beat London Lions, with McGarrachan leading her team in scoring with 19 points on 8-11 (73%) shooting and a perfect 3-3 triples in that game.

Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby – Durham Palatinates

Durham’s 6’3″ centre Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby returned to the North East this season following three years playing in Germany and Belgium, and after leading the WBBL in scoring she also makes a return to the Molten WBBL All-British Team of the Year, having also been selected in her last campaign in 2018-19. She averaged a massive career-high of 21.8 points per game to lead all players as Durham came agonisingly close to the WBBL Play-offs, just missing out in a three-way head-to-head, with Ottewill-Soulsby adding 9.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per contest – she was eighth in the WBBL in rebounding, fourth in offensive rebounds (3.6) and tenth in field goal percentage (48.2%). She scored in double-figures in every game she played and had nine double-doubles, led by 36 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in a March victory over Essex Rebels.

Holly Winterburn – London Lions

At just 22 years old, Great Britain international guard Holly Winterburn makes her fourth appearance in the Molten WBBL All-British Team of the Year, joining the recently retired Helen Naylor in joint-second for overall appearances, two behind Georgia Anderson. She adds this award to her MVP gong from the WBBL Cup Final as she posted 16 points, nine assists and five rebounds as Lions picked up their first piece of silverware of the season, over the course of which she averaged 14.7 points per game, and shot career bests from the field (48.4%), the three-point line (35.8%) and the free-throw line (83.3%), alongside a career best assists mark of 6.8 per game – she was third in the league in assists, and seventh in steals (2.2 per game).

A full record of votes can be found below:

Caledonia Coach VoteHolly WinterburnRenee BuschHannah RobbHarriet Ottewill-SoulsbyAzania Stewart
Caledonia Captain VoteHolly WinterburnShanice Beckford-NortonRenee BuschHarriet Ottewill-SouldbyKirsty Brown
Cardiff Coach VoteHolly WinterburnHannah RobbRenee BuschErin McGarrachanHarriet Ottewill-Soulsby
Cardiff Captain VoteHolly WinterburnKiki Herbert-HarriganRenee BuschErin McGarrachanHarriet Ottewill-Soulsby
Durham Coach VoteHolly WinterburnGeorgia GayleKiki Herbert-HarriganErin McGarrachanChantelle Handy
Durham Captain VoteErin McGarrachanHolly WinterburnRenee BuschGeorgia GayleKiki Herbert-Harrigan
Essex Coach VoteErin McGarrachanHarriet Ottewill-SoulsbyHolly WinterburnJanice MonakanaChantelle Handy
Essex Captain VoteHolly WinterburnGeorgia GayleJanice MonakanaGrace GeorgeAzania Stewart
Leicester Coach VoteGeorgia GayleHolly WinterburnErin McGarrachanHarriet Ottewill-SoulsbyKiki Herbert-Harrigan
Leicester Captain VoteErin McGarrachanHarriet Ottewill-SoulsbyGeorgia GayleShanice Beckford-NortonRenee Busch
London Coach VoteGeorgia GayleRenee BuschErin McGarrachanChantelle HandyHarriet Ottewill-Soulsby
London Captain VoteIssy BunyanChantelle HandyGrace GeorgeClaire PaxtonRenee Busch
Manchester Coach VoteKiki Herbert-HarriganHolly WinterburnJanice MonakanaErin McGarrachanHannah Robb
Manchester Captain VoteHolly WinterburnGeorgia GayleTia FreemanChantelle HandyHarriet Ottewill-Soulsby
Newcastle Coach VoteRenee BuschHolly WinterburnKirsty BrownJanice MonakanaHannah Robb
Newcastle Captain VoteHolly WinterburnHannah RobbChantelle HandyGeorgia GayleKirsty Brown
Nottingham Coach VoteChantelle HandyHolly WinterburnGeorgia GayleErin McGarrachanHannah Robb
Nottingham Captain VoteChantelle Handy Holly WinterburnJanice MonakanaGeorgia GayleShequila Joseph
Oaklands Coach VoteHolly WinterburnGeorgia GayleKiki Herbert-HarriganHarriet Ottewill-SoulsbyAzania Stewart
Oaklands Captain VoteErin McGarrachanHolly WinterburnGeorgia GayleHarriet Ottewill-SoulsbyJanice Monakana
Sevenoaks Coach VoteHolly WinterburnGeorgia GayleChantelle HandyHarriet Ottewill-SoulsbyErin McGarrachan
Sevenoaks Captain VoteHolly WinterburnGeorgia GayleErin McGarrachanChantelle HandyHarriet Ottewill-Soulsby
Sheffield Coach VoteChantelle HandyErin McGarrachanHannah RobbLeah McDermentRenee Busch
Sheffield Captain VoteHolly WinterburnErin McGarrachanShanice Beckford-NortonHannah RobbHarriet Ottewill-Soulsby