For the first half of the campaign, a young Solent side battled valiantly but looked set to miss out on the WNBL2 playoffs having been relegated from Division 1 the season before.
A huge setback, given the recent history and accolades that the club has achieved, post-COVID. From winning the league and playoff double in D1W, as well as reaching the Women’s National Cup final, entering February in eighth spot on a 6-6 record, would be fall from grace in the eyes of some.
Andrea Kurkowski, a former Solent Kestrels player, wanted to help and at the same time, rediscover her love of the sport alongside her full-time job as a massage reflexology therapist.
The German last played in the 2020/21 season, where she averaged 8.2 points on 51% shooting and 4.4 rebounds, so she knew that she could still recreate the magic from those past memories.
“I still wanted to play, and I felt I could help,” Kurkowski said. “Of course, I'm maybe not as quick as I once was, but I knew I still had what it takes to play at this level and more importantly, help the others around me.
“I enjoy playing, I love the sport, and I love the community here. Plus, I have great friends with the Kestrels.”
And in late January, Kurkowski was joined by two other familiar faces from Solent’s successful years. Jodi Jerram and Earleesha Jackson, who also signed up, in a bid to turn Solent’s fortunes around.
Jackson, like Kurkowski, is a dominant inside presence, and shot 49% from the field in that same season, averaging 7.4 points a contest with Jerram providing the deadly touch from three-point land in the 2019/20 season, connecting on 41% of her long-range attempts, before COVID.
Jerram had returned to playing post-COVID, but instead moved north to Sheffield, where she won the WNBL2 Playoff title with the Hatters II in 2023.
“When you play in this league, you want to win and your mission is to get into the playoffs,” said Kurkowski when outlining the goals for the season.
“There wasn’t a middle ground with me, I wasn’t coming in for fun, I wanted to come for the win and go all in with the effort. It’s always how I play and it’s what I expect from my team.
“Obviously, when I came in, we had a couple of losses, we were not in the playoff picture.
“But we have a talented group of young players that are so eager to play, want to succeed and our goal never changed, we wanted to get into the playoffs and we’ve worked so hard to get to this point and the team has been awesome, the attitude has been great and we’re all in it for each other.”
Kurkowski’s presence, experience and mentorship - helped by Jerram and Jackson - has seen the Kestrels win five out of their last six games and turn a 6-6 start into an 11-7 regular-season record and a miraculous top-four finish in Pool II of the WNBL2 table. Their reward? A home tie with another former D1W side, City of Birmingham Rockets, to open the playoffs.
Looking back at their run, the most impressive game of all came on 22 March, when Solent, who were still fifth and out of playoff picture, came up against East London Phoenix, who had beaten Kestrels 92-63 back in December.
Leading for the entire game, but struggling to get past the 30-point lead they needed until the final two minutes, Solent saw success in their sights, when Jerram splashed a three from the wing to give Kestrels that 30-point cushion and most tellingly, the head-to-head advantage which they kept.
Kurkowski was sublime, finishing with 17 points and nine boards in the 67-32 thrashing to leap them into the top four. An incredible achievement for the team and for Kurkowski herself having given birth to her second child in January 2024.
“I’m just coming back after having a child and there are physical changes of course when you come back into a dynamic and fast-paced sport but I can’t complain about my physical shape,” Kurkowski said.
“I think I’m pretty good, like I said earlier, maybe not as quick as I was before but I feel I can still contribute and help my team and be there for the younger players.
“I know my ability, I’m a believer and hopefully in time, I can be where I was a few years ago, but I am working hard to hustle, get back on defence, be an inside presence and I feel since January, everyone has found their rhythm, we’ve overcome a lot and battled through.
“It’s a great team atmosphere despite the different age groups we have, that’s a great focus for us, for Basketball England to allow the younger players to play at senior level and they see that with youngsters, you can achieve a lot. Look at us now, look at what CoLA and Ipswich are doing, it’s great.”
Focusing on the current roster of players gracing the Kestrels, Kurkowski acknowledges the age difference between the younger prodigies, seven of whom suit up in the WEABL for Itchen College, and herself, Jerram, Jackson and Chloe Lammas.
The German though has taken the chance to be one of the on-court mentors of the team and pushing the group ahead when needed.
“It's a challenge for me being that mentor because there is an age gap,” Kurkowski admits.
“I do think that over time, my character and how I play, I feel like I have to be that role model, along with Jodi, Earleesha and Chloe.
“Since I last played and when I came back, in that time, the team has changed and it’s developed and I have learned to be more patient and my behaviour on the court, needs to be the same off the court.
“I want to be that positive, uplifting voice on the court and to balance the emotional levels as well, not get heated and lift the younger players when they haven’t done something right.
“Whether it’s a missed shot, or failing a defensive assignment, I want to be that player that says, come on, it’s okay just focus on the next play.”
Play-by-play, Solent have built themselves up to be a force this season. Time will tell how long Kurkowski, Jerram and Jackson will play for, but they collectively know that Solent is in good hands with their younger generation.
“They are all very talented players, they want to learn, and they want to get better. They are great,” Kurkowski concluded.
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Words by John Hobbs
Main image credit - Luke Simcock
