Paul, a writer, commentator, podcaster and more, had five games to look over as just two points separate six teams at the top of a busy D1W table.
Have your say on this week's choices and give a shout-out to the players you think deserve one using the hashtag #NBL2425. Don't forget to tag us!
Twitter: @NBLengland / @FocusHoops
Facebook: @NBLengland / @FocusHoops
Instagram: @nblengland / @focushoops
Darren will pick a Player of the Week and four other selections to round out his Team of the Week, paying attention to the following criteria:
The FocusHoops Team of the Week 
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Worcester Wolves halted Bristol’s excellent run of form this weekend, and Carolina Marques’ 34-point outing played a massive part in that success.
Marques led the game in scoring, shooting 44% from the field, sinking five from beyond the arc and going 7/8 from the stripe.
The Wolves' standout also had three boards, three assists and two steals in a massive win for the newly promoted side’s survival bid.
Tia Freeman had a fine double-double performance to help ARU navigate their Sunday evening road trip to Reading.
Freeman scored 18 points in the contest and led the game on the glass with 14 rebounds, 11 of which came on the defensive end of the floor.
With five assists and five steals, Freeman did a lot of everything for Ruskin, all while being disciplined with the ball and not committing a single turnover.
Harriet Welham recorded a 24-point, 14-rebound double-double to help Ipswich take a home victory over impressive newcomers Cobham Cobras on the weekend.
Welham shot efficiently inside, downing 61% of her shots inside the arc, all coming around the basket. She also shot well from the stripe, going 5/7.
The reigning D1W Player of the Year worked hard for her side on both ends of the floor, pulling down 11 defensive boards and recording two steals and a block in yet another captain’s performance.
Katie Richards led all scorers in Cobham’s loss to Ipswich this weekend, with a very efficient 30 points coming off 48% shooting, 11/22 inside the arc.
Richards was fouled a team-leading six times, went 5/8 from the stripe, and led the way on the glass with 12 total rebounds to cap off an impressive double-double performance against a high level opponent.
Richards had three dimes and two steals to round out a fine individual display against one of the league’s toughest sides, and although the final result didn't go in her or Cobham's favour, the former TVC forward deserves a spot in this week's five for her overall output.
TVC took away an important road win up in Manchester, but Rehana Khalil took a lot of the plaudits this weekend with a 23-10 double-double performance against a tough team outing from TVC.
Khalil put in an ironwoman 40-minute performance for her side, going 43% from the field and sinking five triples in a fiercely competitive contest.
The former Player of the Week winner also went 4/4 from the stripe, led Manchester on the glass with 10 rebounds and was a joint-game leader in steals with five.
Like Richards, a win may have proved elusive for Khalil, but across their stats, influence and strength of opposition, both deserve the spotlight this week.
Thames Valley Cavaliers took an important road victory over the Manchester Mystics on Saturday, finishing with four players in double-digit scoring.
Led off the bench by a double-double performance from Sante Moonie (17pts, 11reb), TVC also had big outings from Mrashi Karumba-Roberts (16pts), Theresa Jackson (15pts), and Yassin Belle-Mbaye, who also finished with a double-double (12pts, 12reb).
A key differentiator between the teams was rebounding (51-46) and assists (20-14), both of which TVC came out on top, with Jackson and Kat Goldsby, in particular, sharing the rock with eight and six dimes, respectively.
TVC improves to a 4-4 record and now sits one spot below Manchester in the playoff standings, making this weekend's result all the more valuable.
Bristol Flyers have been in a run of fine form recently, but that ended abruptly in Worcester thanks to a 92-73 loss and a stunning scoring performance from the Wolves.
Led by Carolina Marques’ 34 points, Worcester also had Charlotte Finn (17pts), Shanice Turner (15pts) and Nina Wallace (11pts) keeping the scorers busy.
Both sides shot well in a slugfest, but the Wolves were ruthless, hitting 45% from the field, making 14 threes (43%) and going 16/19 from the stripe, punishing Bristol, who could only go 9/19 from the line.
Shooting was the critical difference on an otherwise evenly-contested night. Bristol was led in scoring by Kim Kheing, who scored 21 points in the absence of Marlee Ball.
Chandera Jones-Aryeh (CoLA) - 20P/5R/2A/5S/21EFF
Theresa Jackson (TVC) - 15P/4R/8A/2S/20EFF
Ilaria Zaffaroni (ARU) - 19P/8R/3A/2S/21EFF
.
Main image credit - Worcester Wolves
