As a writer, commentator, podcaster and more, Darren had five exciting games to look over, with wins for Ipswich, Anglia Ruskin, London Lions II, CoLA and Brent.
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Darren will pick a Player of the Week and four other selections to round out his Team of the Week, paying attention to the following criteria:
Other players will also receive a shout out as honourable mentions at the bottom of the piece.
Since making her Lions debut last season Ruchae Walton has had a hugely positive impact on the team and this weekend was no different as she pulled the strings in London’s big win over Cardiff on Sunday. Walton finished with 21 points on 50% shooting and went 7-8 from the line in her 30-minute outing.
Walton finished with seven boards with a team-high four on the offensive glass, dished a team-high four dimes and finished with a weekend-high eight steals in a complete performance from the second-year guard.
👑Ruchae Walton goes BIG for London Lions II 👏#GameTime | #NBL2223 pic.twitter.com/8UN55piQOu
— NBL (@NBLengland) November 1, 2022
Ebere Egbirika goes back-to-back into the Team of the Week after an excellent performance saw her CoLA outfit inflict Solent Kestrels' first loss of the season in a closely fought contest on Sunday.
Egbirika finished with a game-high 24 points, hitting 60% from the field and went a perfect 6-6 from the stripe. Egbirika played a disciplined game - the CoLA Guard didn’t commit a single foul which went a long way to helping secure a tight win.
Brent Bulls and Jessica Davies continue their great start to life in WNBL1 as they took down Loughborough Riders at home on Sunday with Davies finishing with a 14-14 double-double on 41% shooting from the field.
Davies pulled down 10 defensive and four offensive boards and dished one dime in very disciplined game that saw her not commit a single turnover and just a single foul as she controlled the glass and kept the Riders off the line. If Davies can continue to contribute like she has been, the Bulls will be sure to be a real contender in D1.
CoLA scared off any talk that their title defence might be over with a statement home win against Team Solent Kestrels on Halloween weekend 👇#GameTime | #NBL2223
— NBL (@NBLengland) October 31, 2022
Fatmata Janneh has made a strong start to the 2022-23 WNBL season as the Lions picked up their second win thanks in no small part to her 29-point, 14-rebound double-double on Sunday.
Janneh hit 40% from the field, shooting especially well inside and cleaned up on the defensive glass, helping limit Cardiff to just 11 offensive boards whilst taking down 12 defensive rebounds herself.
Janneh bagged eight points in the second quarter, as the Lions started to make their run and built a lead they didn’t come close to losing in the contest.
Kenisha Whyte makes this weekend’s Team of the Week thanks to her efficient 15 points, seven rounds and two assists in Brent’s win over Loughborough on Sunday evening.
She shot well, hitting 50% from the field, going 6-11 from inside the arc and a perfect 3-3 from the charity stripe.
Whyte pulled down five defensive boards, as the Bulls did a good job keeping the Riders off the offensive glass as Whyte put in work on the defensive end finishing with three steals in her 27 minutes of action.
CoLA Southwark Pride handed the Kestrels’ their first loss of the season after a hard-fought encounter in Southwark on Sunday afternoon.
Solent edged the contest in the opening period but a big second quarter gave Pride the advantage they were able to maintain for the rest of the contest to claim a five-point victory and leave only the Brent Bulls with a perfect record early in the season.
CoLA were led by the scoring of Ebere Egbirika and captain Emily O’Connell, but at so often for Jackson Gibbons’ sides it was a team effort that limited Solent’s chances to get to the stripe which ultimately saw CoLA clinch the win.
The D1 newcomers Brent Bulls moved to a perfect 4-0 record after their 57-48 victory over the Loughborough Riders at home.
The Bulls were led in scoring by Jessica Davies and Kenisha Whyte and were led on the glass by Davies and Josephine Maignomo who pulled down eight offensive boards in her 22 minutes.
Alia El Shabrawy was still a menace for Loughborough as she finished with a near triple-double 10-14-8 but the discipline of the Bulls kept the Riders off the foul line which, not for the first time this weekend, is ultimately where the game was won and lost.
The Bulls have made a huge impact on the D1 and the question remains, how far can they go unbeaten?
Alia El Shabrawy (LOU) - 10P/14R/8A/17EFF
Blanche Toualeu (CoLA) - 10P/6R/3A/18EFF
Tamara Smith-White (LL2) - 13P/9R/16EFF
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Main image credit - Hoopsfix/Sam Neter
TOTW graphic credits - Hoopsfix/Sam Neter, Luke Simcock
