Women’s British Basketball League Trophy Semifinal GAME PREVIEW
We are excited to welcome you to the Essex Sport Arena this Saturday 20January for the biggest game of the season thus far for our Rebels Women – the Betty Codona Trophy Semi-Final.
ESSEX REBELS WOMEN vs MANCHESTER GIANTS | WBBL TROPHY SF | 4:00PM TIP-OFF
In this do-or-die game the Rebels will face Manchester Giants in a thrilling matchup to determine the first finalist of the National Women’s Trophy Final. Following a dominant 98-69 win against Nottingham Wildcats in the Quarter Finals, undoubtedly Manchester Giants will be coming to the Essex Sport Arena full of confidence and looking for revenge. However, that will not be an easy task as the Rebels have found their form of late having secured wins against two of the top four teams recently.
WHAT COACH COOKSON HAS TO SAY:
“We are excited to play in the Semifinal in front of our home crowd. Manchester is going to be a tough test after coming of a big victory against Nottingham Wildcats with some big performances of some key players. We will be focusing on playing one possession at a time, and controlling the controllables.”
OPPOSITION FOCUS
WHO ARE MANCHESTER GIANTS?
Formally known as Manchester Met Mystics, the visitors have been part of the Women’s British Basketball League since its inception in 2014. In 2023, the club joined forces with the British Basketball League side, Manchester Giants, to form a new and exciting franchise. Based at the National Basketball Performance Centre in Belle Vue, Manchester is an established basketball hub with strong youth development program.
NEW RECRUITS
Manchester Giants have gone through a complete roster overhaul with only one returning player from last year’s roster, the Manchester native Leah McDerment. Returning to Manchester after a short break are three other hometown players Georgia Anderson (previously known as Jones), Lauren Thomas-Johnson, and Hannah Shaw.
Joining the team this season and making an immediate impact are US Imports Myah Pace, Brooklyn McAlear-Fanus, and Sydney Hunter.
FORM
Having won their last two games, the Giants find themselves in a very good form ahead of this Saturday’s game. The team had two very convincing wins against Cardiff Met Archers and Nottingham Wildcats leading them to the Trophy Semi Finals.
LAST MATCHUP
The Essex Rebels faced Manchester Giants earlier this season in the regular season where the Rebels came out victorious with an 87-76 win. Although the Rebels struggled to find their rhythm in the first half, they were able to regroup and go into the fourth quarter with a 12-point lead which they maintained until the final buzzer. A big impact on the game outcome was the Australian centre, Darcey Rees, who finished the game with an impressive 17 points, 21 rebounds and 2 assists.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Keep an eye out for Idil Turks, who dropped a season high 35 points shooting 5-8 from behind the arch in her last game. Another player to keep an eye on is the team leading scorer, Myah Pace, who has equally been the most consistent player all season for the visitors. Almost averaging a triple double with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists per game, Pace proves to be a difficult match up for any opponent.
Bring the noise and get behind your Essex Rebels Women as they look to make history by reaching their first final ever! We look forward to seeing you on Saturday!
Tickets are still available on Eventbrite. Don’t miss out and secure your tickets now!
Up the Rebs!
