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17 September 2025  2 min read

Copleston appoint Welham to lead EABL programme

Whilst Welham's playing accolades are well known as a previous WNBL winner and multiple MVP recipient, the 28-year-old has made a rapid rise through the coaching ranks in recent years with both Ipswich and Copleston's WEABL programme.

An assistant coach at Copleston prior to going to France to play professionally in 2021, Welham also led Ipswich's U18 Women to a playoff title in 2025 following a 59-58 victory over CoLA last May.

She was assisting on the highly-successful WEABL side that claimed the playoff crown in 2025, and coached the EABL side in their post-season tournament in 2024/25, which included an 87-83 victory over Oaklands.

This summer, Welham made early strides into the national teams landscape, being appointed as an England assistant coach for the U17 Home Nations Invitational.

Speaking about the appointment, Welham said: “I’m excited for the opportunity to coach in the EABL.

"It’s a great chance to test myself with and against some of the best in the country. It’s going to be a great learning experience and one that will only help me to continue to develop as a coach.”

Welham will take over from Nick Drane, who was previously overseeing both the EABL and WEABL programmes at Copleston and he's eager to see how his young charge takes to the new challenge.

“Harriet has demonstrated that she is more than ready to be a head coach at the highest level of junior basketball that we offer domestically," he said.

"This will enable our programme to continue to grow and develop both in terms of the player and coaching pathway.”

Welham's first task as the EABL lead will be Copleston's away clash with Oaklands Wolves to open the regular season on the 8 October, and trying to get the Suffolk programme back to the playoffs for the first time since 2019/20.

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