The NBL Division Three final between Birmingham City University and Crawley Storm starts the day before a pair of Pool winners in Milton Keynes Breakers and London All Stars go head-to-head in the WNBL Division Two showpiece.
The day will end with clash between Team Solent Kestrels and Barking Abbey for the NBL Division Two title, bringing a close to the first half of the weekend.
There's a preview below of all three finals, with live streams as well. Click the red game titles for Live Stats.
Birmingham City University square off against Crawley Storm to get this season's Playoff Finals weekend underway, deciding the D3 title in the process.
Pool II winners Birmingham enjoyed a league-best 17-1 record this year, becoming the only third-tier side to lose just the solitary game in 2024/25.
That allowed the West Midlands outfit to easily take top spot, 10 points clear of their next closest rivals, and setting themselves on the way to what could be an eventual playoff title.
Crawley Storm had a much more competitive affair in Pool III, closing the campaign on 14-4 alongside eventual winners via a head-to-head tiebreaker Oxford Hoops.
Those two sides met to end the regular season, with Hoops coming out as 98-66 winners, though that set back didn't derail Storm as their youthful roster continues to make waves in the playoffs.
Winners 84-81 over Pool IV winners CoLA Southwark Pride to open proceedings, that W was followed up by a statement 83-56 road victory against Pool I top dogs Sheffield Sharks.
After knocking off two Pool winners to get this far, Crawley no doubt fancy making it three from three and beating Birmingham to complete the set.
Young guard Sean Mackey enjoyed a 29-point outing in South Yorkshire, headlining a young crop of Storm players that have graduated from the club's academy set up in recent seasons.
BCU's lone loss on the season came to begin March, meaning Coach Williams' side have been able to reel off four wins to end their campaign since that point, adding a pair of post-season successes against Derby Trailblazers II (82-58) and London Lions Foundations (102-86).
Former D1 man Ronald Oberia top-scored in the win against the Lions Foundation, and he's sure to have a big impact alongside Player of the Season Reiss Faure-Daley, with the duo headlining a strong roster for the Pool II winners.
Williams also collected end of season accolades for his part in the West Midlanders success, whilst Crawley coach Daniel Hildreth is no stranger to the bright lights of the NBPC after multiple trips to Manchester at junior level.
"Getting to the Final is something special something you don’t take for granted. It’s taken five years of hard work, setbacks, growth, and an incredible group of people all pulling in the same direction.
"This team has a chance to make history, and I couldn’t be more grateful for everyone who’s been part of this journey."
"What a great achievement for these young men to attend a senior finals.
"Ultimately we're an academy team with a couple of seniors, and we've knocked off two Pool winners in #2 seed COLA and #3 seed Sheffield Sharks.
"We originally only entered the Division 3 competition to give our third-year students an opportunity to play in the NBL, so to come joint-top of our conference is such a credit to the boys.
"It’s our first final for a senior team and we are really looking forward to the experience. We are fully aware of the huge task ahead of us with an extremely big and athletic BCU but we will give it our best in trying to make it a competitive game."
There will be a new name on the D2 Women's trophy this season as a pair of first time finalists battle it out, with Milton Keynes Breakers and London All Stars both aiming for glory.
Sheffield Hatters II have won the last three titles, though after not entering a team into the 2024/25 competition, a new pair of leading lights have risen to the top of the women's second tier.
Both flexed their might during the regular season, with MK (15-1) topping Pool I, whilst the All Stars (16-1) had no problems coming out on top in Pool II.
With the Breakers' lone loss coming back in late October, they're riding a 15-game win streak into the final, with victories against East London Phoenix and Team Solent Kestrels tacked onto the end of the 13 regular season Ws.
London lost their unbeaten streak late, losing their penultimate regular season contest away to Hemel Storm, before regrouping to march through the playoffs.
Victories against Cardiff Met Archers (73-42) as well as Pool I runners up Bromsgrove Bears (56-35) were both commanding, sending the All Stars to Manchester in style.
Guard Josephine Maignomo has moved across London to the All Stars, following up her stint with D1 Brent Bulls with a standout campaign for the Pool II winners, and earning a worthy MVP award in the process.
She brings top-flight experience to London's roster, as do Achai Biong (Brent) and Carlota De Mergelina Alonso (Reading, London Cavaliers), as part of a well balanced roster.
MK are headlined by an MVP winner of their own in Sarah Round, with the 26-year-old guard enjoying a high-quality campaign alongside the likes of Loughborough product India Morrell and another WEABL standout in Vanessa Obanor.
Making their first appearance on the biggest of stages, both these sides will need to hit the ground running in Manchester. Whichever side can handle the nerves of a playoff final could well come out on top, but it's sure to be an exciting affair finding out who that'll be.
"It has been an incredible debut season, the team not only clinched top spot in the regular season but also secured a spot in the playoff finals - an achievement few may have predicted.
"From day one we have had high aspirations, however making the finals in our inaugural year is a testament to the team’s relentless drive and the culture built throughout the club."
"Respect the moment, trust the process, and leave everything on the floor."
Day one of the weekend's action concludes with an all-South affair as Team Solent Kestrels and Barking Abbey lock horns.
Barking were in the top flight until a year ago, with Solent (2022/23) also at the NBL's top table in recent seasons. Both teams have shown their quality this season in a dramatic South conference, with Solent just coming out in front.
Both closing with a 19-3 record, the end of the regular season was a rollercoaster. In a final weekend winner takes all showdown, Barking came through as 79-69 winners against the Kestrels, putting the two sides level on 38 points.
BA would then taste defeat in their final game of the year, a 74-67 defeat to London Stars, swinging the destination of the title back to the South coast at the last moment.
The Londoners and their young roster deserve credit for picking themselves back up from such a disappointment, and a pair of comfortable wins against Leicester Warriors (64-46) and NASSA (82-60) speak volumes about this group's resilience.
Solent's redemption has had to wait. Their late season loss to Barking left the title race out of their hands, with the Stars doing them a favour with their last day heroics. Instead, the Kestrels head to Manchester with a chance to claim the season series between these sides, with the current tally resting at 1-1 after the regular season.
Solent were in a less than charitable mood when they met the Stars in the semi-finals, coming through as 110-86 victors, following up nicely on the North's #4 seeds Manchester Magic 82-74.
Isa Brandon (third), Russell Gariepy (seventh), Andre Arissol (eighth) and Gregoire Durand (10th) all feature in D2M's top-10 for efficiency this year, displaying the talent at Solent's disposal. Durand is described by the club's staff as a real x-factor, provided versatility and often guarding the best match ups on the opposition teams.
That could see him on a collision course with BA's top scorers, Ethan Conway (13.0PPG) and Amarlie Wilkinson (12.6PPG), though 7’1” forward Lewis Obiorah, who claimed the MVP award at last month's EABL Finals for Barking, is another who could provide a match winning performance.
"We have been neck-and neck-with Barking across the year, so it seems fitting that we meet again in the final.
"Barking are talented and have a nice balance between their u19 and senior players which has seen them go from strength-to-strength. We know we will have our hands full dealing with their pace and team cohesion, but our group is looking forward to the game in what promises to be a great spectacle for NBL 2."
"It’s been a long season with plenty of battles, and we’ve earned our place in this final. One more game, against a great team we know well.
"We’ve put in the work, learned from every matchup, and now it’s our chance to show how far we’ve come."
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