Paul, a writer, commentator, podcaster and more, saw wins for CoLA, Ipswich, Brent and Anglia Ruskin, as he picked his final Player and Team of the Week for 2024/25.
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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
Hannah Gray was in great shooting form, as Ipswich booked their place in the semi-finals, top scoring with 31 points on 58% shooting and sinking 5/7 from beyond the arc.
Gray was relentless for Ipswich, drawing a team-high six fouls and battling under the basket, where she’d do all of her inside scoring.
Gray was no slouch on the glass either, with nine boards to go with one assist and two steals in another top outing in her excellent 2024/25 campaign.
Louisa Gibbins locked down the glass for Ipswich, with a team-high 14 rebounds, 10 of which came on the defensive end, in an excellent all-round performance for one of the Suffolk club’s leading lights.
Gibbins led the side in assists with seven dishes, took away four steals and sent back a team-high four shots in an impressive double-double outing that saw her finish with 11 points, as Ipswich booked their place in the next round.
Vicky Gray was ARU’s leading scorer as they made their way to the semi-finals following a 92-54 home win over Bristol.
Gray, a mid-season signing from Ipswich, top-scored with 25 points on 58% shooting, which included five makes from outside to go with three boards and a dime.
She had a ten-point second quarter and a seven-point third period, as Ruskin traded buckets with Bristol before taking the game away from the Flyers in the second half.
Tia Freeman was dishing the rock for Ruskin, leading the way with a team-high six assists to go along with 21 points, which included three makes from outside and a perfect 4/4 from the stripe.
Freeman was active in the passing lanes, finishing with five steals, and busy on the boards with five rebounds in a well-rounded performance that helped ARU move on to the semi-finals.
Rachel Madu came off the bench for CoLA in their playoff win over Worcester and contributed an efficient 10 points and a team-high 15 rebounds, including seven offensive boards in just 18 minutes of action.
Madu was a force to be reckoned with, drawing a joint team-high four fouls and utterly dominating the glass on both ends of the floor.
Madu also sent one shot back and dished an assist to help keep the league champions on their path to Manchester.
Anglia Ruskin University booked their place in the semi-final with a high-scoring victory over Bristol Flyers, thanks in part to excellent first and third-period efforts.
ARU were led in scoring by Vicky Gray and Tia Freeman with 25 and 21 points respectively, and Izzy Booth who finished with a valuable 13 points.
Elizabeth Neri (6pts, 9reb) led Ruskin on the glass, whilst Freeman pulled the strings with six assists in a fine win over one of their biggest historic rivals.
Bristol were led in scoring by the ever-present Leila Jepson, who finished with 19 points.
After a scheduling quirk meant Ipswich played Loughborough three times in a row, twice to finish their regular-season, then once again to open the playoffs, the Suffolk side made it three from three with another confident performance this weekend.
Ipswich's dominance continued via Hannah Gray’s 31 points, as three of her teammates also hit double digits in scoring, Carys Leach and Louisa Gibbins bagged 11 points, and Harriet Welham netted 10.
Gibbins was a menace in the paint, both on the glass, with 14 rebounds, and rejecting four shots in a tough contest. Ipswich’s relentless offense was a big difference-maker between the sides, as was their ability to punish turnovers and hit their opponent in transition.
Loughborough were led once again by Melissa Leet, who has had a great season, finishing with a 12-13 double-double.
Cecile Ideh (CoLA) 18P/2R/17EFF
Melissa Leet (LOU) - 12P/13R/2A/2S/3B/23EFF
Lindsey Cleary (BRE) - 13P/13R/2S/14EFF
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Main image credit - Richard Leach
