Defending Playoff champs and #1 seeds Hemel Storm fell last weekend, meaning Reading Rockets and Milton Keynes Breakers will contest the Men's crown in a repeat of last month's KitKing Trophy Final.
That is preceded by the D1 Women's showdown, which a re-run of last year's final as CoLA Southwark Pride and Endeavour Ipswich Basketball go head-to-head once again.
There's a preview below of both finals, with live streams as well. Click the red game titles for Live Stats.
Two of the most successful teams in the women’s game go at it once again to begin Sunday’s schedule, as CoLA Southwark Pride and Endeavour Ipswich Basketball clash at Manchester’s NBPC.
These teams have met across multiple competitions in recent years, providing some eye-popping stats. Since the 2019/20 season across the U18, WEABL and D1W competitions, this duo have combined to win a total of 24 league, Cup and playoff titles, leaving their opponents to win just five in reply.
That speaks to the dominance this pair have had over the field in recent years as two pillars of the women's game.
The weekend's contest is a repeat of last season's final, which CoLA claimed 72-56 behind a 12-point, 13-rebound double from forward Felicia Jacobs.
Jacobs has now moved on, as have a number of players across both rosters, a sign of the Academy model implemented both clubs as they embrace player development and turnover as stars depart for the next stage of the basketball journey.
That means a new cohort is ready to impact this storied rivalry. One player who has been part of the story between these sides in recent seasons without being able to take part is Ipswich's Hannah Gray. With long term injury issues that have forced her to watch her team-mates trade blows with CoLA over the last few years, she is back and firing on all cylinders after some huge performances in recent weeks.
That included 38 points in Ipswich's 80-77 semi-final victory over Brent, and Gray's impact on the final will be intriguing to watch.
Ever-present captain Harriet Welham (22.5PPG, 9.1RPG) will also be a factor, as will newer faces in first-year guard Maisie Keyes (10.7PPG, 3.8APG) and import signing Maddie Wormald (15.5PPG, 9.7RPG, 2.6SPG), who enjoyed a 24-point, 10-rebound double-double when Ipswich won their home leg 75-63 back in mid-February.
Louisa Gibbins (10.9PPG, 10.8RPG, 3.9APG) is also playing her last action in D1W before departing for the States, no doubt she'll want to sign off by helping the Suffolk side to their first D1W playoff title since 2020/21.
77-55 winners when the sides met in London during the regular season, CoLA were powered by 19 points from guard Debra Wilson-Osuide (8.3PPG, 1.6APG), who alongside rising star Ayla Habbal (16.5PPG, 5.7RPG, 4.3APG), will be tasked with running the game for the defending champs.
Chloe Vella's bright debut campaign for Pride was cut short by an Achilles injury in January, leaving Adaora Dioramma (11.5PPG, 9.6RPG) and Eva-Grace Yebila (3.9PPG, 5.1RPG) to fill the boots of Jacobs and co. in CoLA's forward ranks.
25-year-old Chandera Jones-Aryeh (9.5PPG, 6.5RPG, 5.0APG, 3.1SPG) continues to provide a more veteran presence to the CoLA roster, and as a player who has been with the London club through plenty of their successful trips to Manchester in the past (including what will be the club's fifth-straight D1W Playoff Final appearance), her involvement is sure to provide a boost on court as well as off it.
"We are always grateful and humbled to make a National Final with our group, especially a senior Final.
"We appreciate that last year we upset the odds, but always feel that against Ipswich's experienced team and D1's best player, that we will always be the underdogs, as they've had yet another phenomenal year.
"Either way we hope it will be a great spectacle."
“We are excited to be back in Manchester, playing against another team from the South. Playing against the league and reigning playoff champions in the biggest game of the season is a great challenge."
The D1M Final, as with the D1W showpiece proceeding it, pits two well-known opponents against each other as Reading Rockets take on Milton Keynes Breakers.
The two clubs contested last month's KitKing Trophy Final, with Reading coming through as 97-75 winners behind 20 points from Justin Hopkins and a nine-point, 18-rebound outing from Ty Nsangu.
That win, alongside January's NBL National Cup success, has set the Rockets up for a treble opportunity, with only the regular-season title eluding them so far.
It hasn't been all one way for the Berkshire outfit in 2024/25 however, with MK splitting the season series against the Rockets despite their 17-7 record and the additions to their trophy cabinet.
November's 92-73 win for Reading was followed up by a slender 90-89 Breakers' success back in February, and the latter result amplifies the feeling that this has been a season of two halves for the former D2M South winners.
5-4 before the December's mid-season break, MK have come alive since the turn of the year, going 11-4 to lock up a top-four spot, and playoff wins against #5 seeds Loughborough and #1 seeds Hemel last weekend have further heightened that momentum.
The January re-signing of former captain Jordan Spencer was a big acquisition, and his 15.8PPG, 5.6RPG, 9.0APG splits over the last 11 games have been invaluable for Coach Beddow-Patel's side.
American Adrian Scarborough (18.5PPG, 10.8RPG) has been impressive in his debut NBL campaign, and the forward's production has allowed guards KJ Johnson (18.5PPG, 6.1APG) and Nate Robinson (16.0PPG) to flourish.
Johnson has been a late-season injury concern, including missing both of his side's playoff games so far, with long-time guard Blayne Freckleton also a potential question mark for this weekend.
Kai Walker (8.4PPG, 6.6RPG) produced a big game against Loughborough to keep the Breakers in this year's post-season, and forward Chris Tawiah (10.8PPG, 7.5RPG) is a physical presence around the basket.
Understandably for a team who have already collected much of what is on offer to win this campaign, Reading have an equally packed roster.
Mitch Clarke (17.8PPG, 6.4APG) leads a strong guard trio that also involves Zain Poorman (8.4PPG, 4.6APG) and Victor Olarerin (16.1PPG, 1.9SPG), whilst NBL National Cup MVP Justin Hopkins (19.5PPG, 4.4RPG) and KitKing Trophy MVP Ty Nsangu (8.4PPG, 8.4RPG) headline their forward options.
Lewis Champion (8.2PPG, 2.9APG) provides veteran leadership to the group as captain, and Reis Pinnock (5.8PPG, 2.0APG) is continuing his late-season return from injury.
"I am very excited and pleased for the team and the fans to be in Manchester again. It will be a very good game and it's actually great for our league that the top seeds aren't there.
"We are playing against a great team who beat the champions so it is going to be an extremely difficult match-up. I am extremely proud of our team, we have done a great job this year and hopefully we can get the last trophy on offer. We can't wait for our fans to get behind us as we play in this final."
"We are so pleased to be heading back to the playoff finals in Manchester. Finals aren’t unfamiliar territory for the club, but in our debut season in Division One it’s a brilliant accolade for the team and a testament to how hard everyone has worked this year.
"We had two tough games vs Loughborough and Hemel, and will be prepared for the same against the familiar opponents of Reading Rockets. They’re a well coached and physical team but we are ready for the challenge.
"It’s going to be a brilliant game."
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