This week’s All-Star 5 includes a pair of WBBL Cup winners from the London Lions after they beat Leicester Riders in Sunday’s final in front of a sold-out crowd and live on Sky Sports at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham, but the team is led by Antoinette Lewis after her heroics for Newcastle Eagles in league action.
Antoinette Lewis – Newcastle Eagles
Newcastle recorded a first WBBL Championship win of 2023 and gained some daylight in the tightly contested race for the WBBL Play-off places with an impressive victory over top four contenders Sheffield Hatters, leading to a third All-Star 5 appearance in seven weeks for American forward Antoinette Lewis. She posted a big double-double of 19 points and 16 rebounds, with four assists and four steals, shooting 8-11 (72%) from the floor. Eagles dominated the second half, winning it 51-26, as Lewis had 14 points and nine boards after the break.
Holly Winterburn – London Lions
Great Britain international guard Holly Winterburn adds a third All-Star 5 appearance to her WBBL Cup Final MVP award after shining in front of a sold-out crowd as Lions defended the Cup against her former club. She hit 7-9 (77%) from the field on her way to 16 points and almost completed a double-double by handing out nine assists, also grabbing five rebounds. Lions led from tip-to-buzzer but really turned the screw in the second half, Winterburn pulling the strings with seven points and three assists early in the third quarter to settle the game.
Shambria Washington – Sevenoaks Suns
Suns added American guard Shambria Washington two weeks ago and she has wasted little time in making a first All-Star 5 showing, as Suns made it six straight league wins and jumped to third in the table after beating Durham Palatinates. She finished with 26 points, nailing 6-11 (54%) three-pointers, along with four steals, three rebounds and two assists as Suns bounced back from an early deficit, tying the game in the second as she scored six points in a minute, two of those scores coming directly off her own steals, before hitting a key triple early in the fourth.
Téa Adams – Caledonia Gladiators
Gladiators climbed above Hatters into the top four of the WBBL Championship with a decisive home win over Cardiff Met Archers, leading to a first All-Star 5 appearance for American guard Téa Adams. The Oregon State graduate poured in 28 points in under 30 minutes on 11-18 (61%) shooting, with nine of those coming in the second quarter as Gladiators raced into an early lead and were in full control by half time, before adding ten points in two and a half minutes in the third.
Kiki Herbert Harrigan – London Lions
Former WNBA star Kiki Herbert Harrigan showed she is a player for the big occasion as she led all scorers in Sunday’s WBBL Cup Final, making a second All-Star 5 appearance of the campaign so far. She scored 19 points and hit 3-4 (75%) from three-point range in a game where Lions shot an impressive 10-22 (45%), with six rebounds, two steals and two blocks, making a big contribution to London’s defence as they stifled Leicester. She asserted herself on the game early, as did her team, with four points, three boards, two blocks, a steal and an assist in the opening period.
Off the bench: Samantha Keltos (Manchester Met Mystics), Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby (Durham Palatinates), Araion Bradshaw (Sevenoaks Suns), Cassidy Gould (Oaklands Wolves), Shaelynne Sanchez Czerniecki (Manchester Met Mystics), Grace George (Oaklands Wolves), Shannon Hatch (Cardiff Met Archers).