The trio all picked up solid victories this weekend, keeping themselves out in front with the playoffs fast approaching.
Reading are all but relegated following their loss against Barking, who can now dream of escaping the bottom two with a few more positive results.
We take a look back at all the weekend's match-ups below, with links to live stats at the bottom of the page.
Barking Abbey claimed the battle of the bottom two as they came through 67-54 against Reading Rockets.
A 16-4 opening quarter made life tough for the Rockets, but despite trailing from the opening tip, the hosts still managed to taste a lead by the mid-point of the fourth quarter.
That reprieve would be short lived, however, with BA closing the game on a 22-7 run to seal a priceless victory.
Nicole Clancy (17pts, 7reb, 7ast, 6stl) was the standout for the visitors on a day when they needed a big performance, as Megan Verbeeten (14pts) and Sharon Adejonwo (10pts, 10reb, 4ast, 4stl) both offered valuable support.
Millie Day (16pts, 6reb) was the leading light for the Rockets on a dark day for their D1W tenure, with Kristina Karpova (13pts, 2/10 3PT) and Alicia Guerra Rainford (6pts, 0/5FG) both struggling to find their usual rhythm.
Defeat doesn't leave Reading mathematically down, they can still make it to 12 points alongside a trio of other sides who sit at that mark and hope that tiebreakers fall in their favour. The Rockets' last four games are all against teams in the top five, however, making the potential for winning out the rest of the way a remote one.
Barking now sit two wins behind that pack on 12 points, and with two games in hand on the likes of Cobham, Abbey have momentum on their side as they try to stage a big finish to their season.
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CoLA Southwark Pride (14-3) kept on trucking in their quest for top spot, beating Bristol Academy Flyers (9-9) 72-56.
Ayla Habbal (17pts, 4ast) top scored for their hosts as Chandera Jones-Aryeh shot 75% from the floor as part of a 14-point, eight rebound performance.
Endeavour Ipswich Basketball (15-3) also got the job done, edging past a spirited Worcester Wolves (6-11) 63-59.
Up 16 early in the fourth, the league leaders looked to have the game in the bag, but with 5:55 to go that advantage was down to a single point with Worcester sniffing a huge upset.
A quick 6-0 run gave the reigning regular season champs a little breathing room, shading the contest the rest of the way thanks to Harriet Welham's 29 points.
Maisie Keyes added 20 more for the hosts, with Louisa Gibbins pulling down a staggering 20 boards. Carolina Marques (18pts) top scored for the Wolves.
Tia Freeman (22pts) and Izabelle Booth (21pts) combined for 43 points to help Anglia Ruskin University (12-7) beat London Cavaliers (6-10) 74-63.
Manchester Mystics (10-9) continued their recent good form, making it three wins in a row as they saw off Loughborough Riders (9-8) 79-68.
Elizandra Costa (23pts) enjoyed a game-high score as she powered Manchester's success, with Irene Oboavwoduo (16pts, 6reb, 4ast, 4stl) showing more of her all-round potential to cancel out a 19-point, 12-rebound double-double from Loughborough's Alex Shaw.
Brent Bulls (13-4) enjoyed 28 points from American Lindsey Cleary as they grabbed a 69-57 victory against Cobham Cobras (6-13) in Sunday's only game.
Cleary continues to excel in the absence of standout guard Judit Fritz, who's continued break from action will surely put a strain on Brent's title aspirations.
Cleary added 13 rebounds to her haul as she continues to push the Bulls forward, Francesca Quinn (13pts) top scored for the Cobras as they're starting to get twitching ahead of a resurgent Barking.
1:15pm - CoLA Southwark Pride 72-56 Bristol Academy Flyers - LIVE STATS
3:30pm - Endeavour Ipswich Basketball 63-59 Worcester Wolves - LIVE STATS
3:45pm - Anglia Ruskin University 74-63 London Cavaliers - LIVE STATS
5:30pm - Manchester Mystics 79-68 Loughborough Riders - LIVE STATS / LIVE STREAM
6:45pm - Reading Rockets 52-67 Barking Abbey - LIVE STATS
12pm - Brent Bulls 69-57 Cobham Cobras - LIVE STATS
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Main image credit - Barking Abbey
