Three of this week’s WBBL All-Star 5 are making their second appearances of the season already, led by a sensational performance from Kennedy Nicholas of the Nottingham Wildcats as she features for the second week in a row after leading her team to a third straight win.
Kennedy Nicholas – Nottingham Wildcats
Nicholas led the league in rebounding last season and she showed why with a third double-double in four games to start this term – with this being the biggest of all – as Wildcats won on the road at Oaklands Wolves on Saturday. She finished with a massive 26 points and 23 boards, shooting 11-15 (73%) from the field, and with seven of her rebounds coming at the offensive end leading directly to 13 second chance points, eight of which she scored herself, in a 14-point win. She had six points and five rebounds in a second quarter that Wildcats won 27-17 to come from behind and establish a double-digit lead.
Shannon Hatch – Cardiff Met Archers
Archers’ captain Shannon Hatch also posted a big double-double as they also continued their fine start to the season with a third win in four games, beating Durham Palatinates at home. Hatch scored 26 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, setting the tone early on with four points and five boards in a 15-0 first quarter burst that gave Archers a double-figure lead, before adding nine third quarter points to hold off any thoughts of a comeback from the visitors, Hatch also nabbing three steals in the game as Archers scored 22 points from turnovers.
Lauren Saiki – Cardiff Met Archers
Teammate Lauren Saiki makes the All-Star 5 for the second time in three weeks after that win over Palatinates at Archers Arena, and is the third player in this week’s team to have posted a double-double. She scored 15 points and handed out 15 assists for Cardiff Met, also coming up with five rebounds and three steals in that strong defensive display. She pulled the strings in the decisive opening stanza as she was involved in every basket of that 15-0 run, providing assists for the first six and then scoring the final one herself.
Oliana Squires – Leicester Riders
Squires is the final player to be featuring for a second time already this season after she inspired Leicester Riders to a big road win at Emirates Arena against the previously unbeaten Caledonia Gladiators, joining their opponents on a 3-1 WBBL Championship record. Squires poured in 26 points, shooting 5-6 (83%) inside and 4-10 (40%) from the three-point line, with five rebounds and three steals. Riders trailed by 16 points at half time but opened the third on a 14-0 surge as Squires hit a triple among her five points in that spell, before completing the comeback in the dying moments as she scored eight points in the last five minutes, including six in a 13-4 push to end the game and snatch victory.
Radka Stasova – Caledonia Gladiators
Gladiators had picked up their third win of the campaign prior to that by beating Sevenoaks Suns 71-61 in another significant game against a top side, led by Slovakian international point guard Radka Stasova who joined from EuroCup Women outfit MBK Ruzomberok in the off-season. She had 18 points, four rebounds, four steals and three assists, including nine points, three steals and two assists in a fourth quarter that Gladiators won 29-14 to overturn a late deficit, Stasova scoring seven points in a minute, including the go-ahead basket, as they finished on a 13-0 tear.
Off the bench: Cassidy Gould (Oaklands Wolves), Jess Wayne (Durham Palatinates), Antoinette Lewis (Newcastle Eagles), Renee Busch (Sevenoaks Suns), Jorjah Smith (Oaklands Wolves), Georgia Gayle (Sheffield Hatters), Erin McGarrahan (Caledonia Gladiators).