The tie is part of the opening round of the Women's Super League Basketball (SLB) Trophy, in which the first English team to win a major European title will face off against one of the top sides the WNBL has to offer. Essex will also await next weekend as the trio battle it out in Group D across the next two weekends.
While both Ipswich and London have undergone transitions from 2023/24 in terms of personnel - the Lions in particular don't have a single returning player from the side that beat Besiktas on aggregate in last year's final - the contest, on paper at least, will pit the top side in the SLB against one of D1W's finest.
With three regular-season titles, a Playoff championship and the WNBL National Cup to their name across the last five years, Ipswich, and reigning D1W MVP Harriet Welham, will be sniffing an upset.
Ipswich’s invitation into the competition is based on their success last season, when they were poised for an historic league, Cup and post-season treble, before CoLA Southwark Pride upstaged them in the Playoff final to nab a 72-56 victory.
But that loss didn't reflect that, for the majority of the regular season and leading up to Manchester's Playoff showpiece, Ipswich were the team to beat in 2023/24, and their 19-3 regular-season record was a fair reflection on their consistent quality.
Like the Lions, the Suffolk side are also a different team to the group that took the floor last season, with only two starters returning. One of those faces is multi-time league MVP Welham, who is looking forward to flying the flag for the WNBL over the next few weeks, saying: "We’re really looking forward to be representing WNBL is the Women's SLB Trophy.
"We obviously had a successful season last season, winning both the league and the National Cup, so it’s great to get the invite and give us a chance to compete against London and Essex.
"With three of our starters from last season now playing overseas in America, it’s a great chance for our new-look team to get together and play for the first time."
It is a sentiment shared by Endeavour Ipswich Basketball's head coach Nick Drane, who is looking forward to this weekend's spectacle, saying: “We are really excited by the chance to compete in the Super League Trophy.
"The Lions game especially, in front of our home crowd, to open the season, is a special opportunity for our club to showcase what a great community we have here in Ipswich and it will be great for this young team to experience playing against the EuroCup holders.
"The Essex game seven days later presents a different challenge as unfortunately we tried to move this game due to a number of clashes and haven’t been able to get a new date – so we will be without some key players.”
Ipswich host the Lions on 28 September (5.30pm) and visit Essex on 5 October (4pm), and the SLB Trophy Final takes place on 26 January at Utilita Arena Birmingham.
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