As a writer, commentator, podcaster and more, Darren had four games to make his picks from to start the new year, selecting his Player and Team of the Week in the process.
Have your say on this week's choices and give a shout-out to the players you think deserve one using the hashtag #NBL2324. 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
Irene Oboavwoduo takes the first Player of the Week award of 2024 with a fantastic double-double as Manchester took down CoB Rockets to keep the momentum rolling from the before the winter break.
Oboavwoduo bagged 17 points on 60% shooting and went 5/6 from the stripe in the 25-point victory.
12 rebounds, five assists and a steal capped off a great performance for the highly-rated youngster.
Helene Trailin was a dominant force in TVC’s narrow loss to Loughborough this weekend.
A stunning 26 points, 22 rebound double-double came on 55% shooting, all inside the paint, and six made FTs. Trailin pulled down 15 offensive boards on her way to 22 total and found teammates for two dimes whilst not committing a single turnover.
Trailin put in an all-round performance with four blocks and three steals in a stellar display that was just the final result away from being in Player of the Week contention.
Erin Powell’s 23 points, including three made triples and 4/4 from the stripe, was a big part of Loughborough’s four point road victory over TVC.
Powell’s scoring down the stretch was the difference between winning and losing as she hit the go ahead layup with a minute to play and then sank two free throws with 15 seconds remaining to put a bow on the game.
The WEABL standout contributed on the glass with eight rebounds, made two assists and finished with two steals and a block as she came up huge from the bench in an important victory.
Jasmine Graham’s 18 points off the bench for Loughborough helped them take down title challengers TVC on the road.
In 22 minutes of action, Graham scored 18 points on 64% shooting with half her points coming from beyond the arc. Graham hit two three-pointers in the final period but it was a huge momentum play that capped off her performance. Graham blocked a Kat Goldsby drive in the final two minutes, before heading straight up the floor to score a layup of her own, battling through contact to bring the gap to just one point.
Graham had seven rebounds, three steals and that block in a strong all-around display.
Rian Rawlings impressed for ARU in their win over their old foes Bristol Flyers this weekend.
Rian’s 21 points on 66% scoring included going 7/10 from inside, hitting a triple and going 4/7 from the stripe. Rawlings took down six rebounds and found teammates for four assists in an important win as both sides are battling for a playoff berth.
Ruskin built their lead in the opening period and Rawlings finished it off with a bang, draining a triple followed by a layup with two seconds left to play in the quarter.
The talented forward helped ARU manage the game and saw out the final period with a valuable seven points, preventing a Bristol comeback and securing a big win to kick off the new year.
Ipswich and Thames Valley will battle it out for the National Cup 🏆
— NBL (@NBLengland) December 18, 2023
🗞👇https://t.co/nmGcwe7yDr pic.twitter.com/4l5ur7yKCM
Loughborough took a huge win away from their trip to Thames Valley Cavalliers thanks to stunning performances from the bench by Erin Powell and Jasmine Graham.
Powell led the way in scoring with 23, followed by Graham’s 18 with Sasha Lecuyer and Erin Caldwell also hitting double-digits with 13 and 11 points respectively.
A back-and-forth encounter throughout, the Riders kicked it up a gear down the stretch with solid defence and some hard nose basketball to take the victory.
TVC were led by an incredible performance from Helene Trailin who finished with 26-22 and another great game from Chinwe Iwunze who added 27 points of her own.
Manchester won the battle of the promoted clubs as they took down CoB Rockets for the second time this season.
20 points from Elizandra Costa led the way for Manchester, with my Player of the Week Irene Oboavwoduo bagging a 17-12 double-double and Rehana Khalil continuing her fine form with a valuable 10-9-6 display.
Success Odemwingie was also in double-figure scoring with 11 points from the bench.
Catarina Seixas led the way for CoB Rockets with 16 points in a battling display.
Chinwe Iwunze (TVC) - 27P/7R/1A/28EFF
Christabel Osarobo (IPS) - 7P/21R/7A/26EFF
Rehana Khalil (MAN) - 10P/9R/6A/21EFF
.
Main image credit - Luke Simcock
