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22 April 2026  11 min read

NBL Playoff Finals 2026: Previews, live streams, live stats

The WNBL Division Two Final between Barking Abbey and East London Phoenix opens the weekend, with NBL Division Two's Oaklands Wolves and Gloucester City Kings making up the second of Saturday's games.

Sunday will see the WNBL Division One title going to either London Cavaliers or Anglia Ruskin University, before Solent Kestrels and Worcester Wolves do battle in the weekend's final contest for the NBL Division One crown.

There's a preview below of all four finals, with live streams as well. Click the game titles for Live Stats.

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NBL1 Playoff Final: Solent Kestrels vs Worcester Wolves - Sunday, 4pm

This season's pool winners meet to decide who will take the D1M playoff title, with Pool A top dogs Worcester Wolves taking on Pool B champs Solent Kestrels.

Both secured top spot in their respective divisions after impressive regular-season campaigns.

Worcester came through a tough test, finishing first at 17-5 across a campaign where the top five teams all closed the season within two points of each other.

The Wolves overcame one of those sides in the semi-finals, beating Manchester Magic 82-66 following an 86-72 success over Pool B's London Stars to open the post-season.

The 2021/22 winners Solent make up the other half of the final as the South Coast side look to add to their three titles with further success in Manchester.

Winners in 2018/19, 2020/21 and 2021/22, Matt Guymon's side took top spot in Pool B at 16-2, seeing off Barnet, Barking and London Stars as they were left to make up the top four.

A 65-50 win over Barking in the semi-final punched Solent's ticket to Manchester, following on from a commanding 85-70 victory over Pool A challengers Birmingham City University.

The Kestrels own one of D1M's top five offences at 81.2PPG, ahead of Worcester's 78.9PPG. Both excel on the defensive end as well, with the Wolves allowing just 69.6PPG and Solent giving up a D1M-low 62.6PPG.

Solent's Andre Arissol and Worcester's Earl Burgess represent two of the league's standouts this season and their matchup is sure to be an exciting one, but Solent also possess a roster that carried them to January's NBL National Cup.

Solent Kestrels' Andre Arissol:

"Nothing has changed since we started the season; we wanted to win it all and make more history for the club.

"To win the treble is historic, and that's what we try to represent throughout the whole club. I'm super-excited because we get to go up against a fresh team that we have never played before, it's exciting and makes the game so much more fun.

"Coming off a great win against a really tough Barking Abbey team has added great momentum for us to go and compete for the playoff title."

Worcester Wolves' head coach Dean Blake:

"It's great to be a part of what the team have achieved so far. The guys have shown a lot of resilience and determination to win the league and get to the finals of the playoffs.

"Solent are a great team and are lead by great coaches. We're looking forward to representing Pool A and taking on Solent from Pool B to see who will be crowned NBL D1 champions."

 

WNBL1 Playoff Final: London Cavaliers vs Anglia Ruskin University - Sunday, 1pm

One team trying to add to former glories and another forging a new path go head-to-head this weekend as London Cavaliers take on Anglia Ruskin University.

ARU enjoyed a golden span in the late 2010s, winning D1W titles in 2017/18 and 2018/19 along with a WNBL National Cup in 2019/20.

The Cambridge outfit will be looking to get back to those levels of success against a London Cavaliers' side trying to create a winning culture of their own.

Taking the WNBL National Cup in 2022/23 (then as Thames Valley Cavaliers), the Londoners claimed the D1W regular-season at 17-3, two wins ahead of their nearest challengers.

January presented another shot for the team to add to their National Cup haul, but the side fell agonisingly short against Manchester Mystics, 84-83, to instead finish as runners up.

A 75-61 semi-final victory over Ipswich and an opening 81-65 win over Loughborough have left the Cavs on the verge of adding a maiden playoff title to regular-season glory, but they're still a step away from making that a reality.

ARU finished third during an impressive 2025/26 campaign, closing with a 13-7 record. Those seven defeats did include a pair of losses to this weekend's opponents, with the Cavs coming through as 67-61 winners in Cambridge back in late-November and 70-54 victors at home in mid-February.

Given their regular-season title and claiming both previous match ups, the Cavs enter the Final as favourites. Anything is possible though, and both teams possess plenty of quality to take the contest their way.

London Cavaliers enjoyed a D1W-best 76.6PPG on offence this year but Anglia Ruskin allowed just 60.9PPG this term, making for an interesting clash of styles.

Janice Monakana (20.3PPG) and Chinwe Iwunze (19.7PPG, 8.5RPG, 3.0SPG) lead the Cavs' scoring charts, but expect Tia Freeman (19.6PPG, 3.7APG, 2.4SPG) to counter alongside Abby Conlee (14.8PPG) for ARU.

London Cavaliers' head coach Robbie Connell:

"I think we’ve bounced back well after a disappointing defeat in January’s WNBL National Cup Final.

"The goal from that point was to regroup and do the double. Our mission has not changed, and it's testament to this team's resilience and determination that we have reached another final."

Anglia Ruskin's Tia Freeman:

"I’m really looking forward to the final to show what our team are capable of on the big stage.

"We’ve improved massively throughout the season and I think this really came to light in our playoff run so far. We have a great mix of senior and younger players, for some of them this will be their first final and obviously that’s really exciting for them.

"Once you’ve made it to the final anything can happen and I hope we walk away with the playoff trophy at the end of it."

 

NBL2 Playoff Final: Oaklands Wolves vs Gloucester City Kings - Saturday, 5pm

A pair of perfect records enter, but only one can remain intact as Oaklands Wolves and Gloucester City Kings battle it out for D2M glory.

The Wolves won Pool B with a spotless 18-0 record, receiving a 20-0 forfeit against Brent in their quarter-final before a narrow 78-74 win against last season's D3 playoff champs Sussex Storm.

Gloucester City were similarly dominant in Pool C, also going 18-0 before topping West Yorkshire Hawks 79-47 and Tees Valley Mohawks 77-75.

Both sides have quality at their disposal. For the Wolves, they have former D1M winner Reis Pinnock in their ranks, free-scoring Academy graduate Kane Daley, plus a host of EABL talent including Gavin Mitchell, Dylan Gladstone, Liam McIntosh and Daniel Kostadinov.

Karl Teesdale provided 38 points, 11 assists and four steals in the Kings' final regular-season clash, highlighting his level of play this season, and alongside the likes of Kekoa McArdle, Rhys Farrell and point guard Roosevelt Davis, they'll be aiming to give Gloucester City one last win to cap a stunning campaign.

Oaklands Wolves' Head Coach Liam Jefferson:

"It's been an unforgettable season for our programme with winning the league, promotion and reaching the National Cup semi-finals. Bringing home a playoff championship would be the perfect finish.

"Gloucester are a good team, well-coached and have also gone undefeated, but we are prepared and have had a great couple of weeks of practice so we'll do everything in our control to make sure we get the job done."

Gloucester City Kings' Head Coach Jay Marriott:

"After winning the league we really wanted to enjoy the playoffs and test ourselves against the best across the country.

"Making the final is a huge honour for our club and I know Oaklands present the biggest test we have had all season.

"If injuries and availability are kind to us, I know this is going to be a great final."

 

WNBL2 Playoff Final: Barking Abbey vs East London Phoenix - Saturday, 2pm

The weekend's action begins with the D2W final between Barking Abbey and East London Phoenix.

The pair know each other well as they made up the top two in Pool B this season, finishing with equal 15-3 records that required a head-to-head tiebreaker to split.

Playing each other twice in the space of a week back in January, Barking took their home leg 48-47 in a thriller before a more comfortable 56-43 success in East London.

Teniyah Crenshaw-Patterson enjoyed a game-high 21 points in that one-point loss at Barking and will be itching to help her side avoid a 3-0 sweep for the season, though it was Elizabeth Esan who poured in 33 points for Phoenix in their 74-69 semi-final road win against Milton Keynes.

The core of Barking's roster also features in the WEABL, with the likes of Jess Jolley, Kamilah Yakabu, Cecilia Victorious and Sharliyah Sutherland featuring alongside the veteran presence of Ruby Clarke.

Both sides have enjoyed a quality campaign, but only one can cap it with a playoff title.

Barking Abbey's head coach Lauren Milligan:

"I'm so proud of this young group. At the start of the season our goal was to win the league and earn promotion. A playoff final was never even part of the conversation, so we’re just enjoying the moment, day-by-day, and we are excited to bring Barking Abbey women back to a final.

"It’s going to be a competitive game against another physical London team from just down the road. We’re prepared, excited, and ready for the challenge."

East London Phoenix's head coach Tope Alli Balogun:

"It's always great to make a final. The ladies have been on a journey this year and to see them rewarded with an opportunity to win a trophy is a beautiful thing.

"It's been a big year of growth, mentally and physically, for the squad, so I'm excited to show how far we have come.

"Our university programme is built on giving young British players the opportunity to play against some of the best talent, so the final is another opportunity for us to build on that."

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