East London Phoenix take on Cardiff Met Archers at SportsDock in the penultimate match of the British Wheelchair Basketball Women’s Premier League 2023/2024 season. 🎟️ Tickets are on sale here.
It’s been a largely positive third season for East London Phoenix in the BWB Women’s Premier League, although the Londoners chances of winning the title were ended after the recent visit of two-time champions Loughborough Lightning.
Lightning were the only team to have beaten Phoenix when the side met for a second time at SportsDock on 11 February. Despite a battling performance – and a 27-point haul from star player Amy Conroy – lightning struck twice and Phoenix ended up on the wrong end of a 57-68 defeat.
Cardiff Met Archers are the opponents at SportsDock for Phoenix’s final home game of the season. The sides have already met once in east London. A showdown in early December ending with a convincing 76-55 home win for the hosts. Phoenix will seek out an encore this afternoon as they look to secure a second-placed finish in the table.
The match is part of a double-header of basketball action at SportsDock. Following East London Phoenix v Cardiff Met Archers at 2pm, East London Phoenix men will take to court against Barking Abbey in the NBL D3. Tip-off is at 5pm.
Hailed as a significant moment for British Paralympic sport prior to its debut season in 2022, the BWB Women’s Premier League (see below for an introduction to the league) is the first of its kind worldwide, and the UK’s first women’s professional para sport league.
In 2023/2024 the league once again features four sides based out of leading sporting universities – Cardiff Met Archers, East London Phoenix, Loughborough Lightning and Worcester Wolves – and promises to be of a world-class standard the teams sprinkled with players boasting international experience. Each side will play each other three times during the regular season which runs from December 2023 to March 2024.
EAST LONDON PHOENIX SQUAD
East London Phoenix are putting together a squad set to compete for honours this season. Three-time Paralympian and GB player Amy Conroy (pictured in action) and Irish star Jodie Waite lead a strong contingent of players returning from last season. GB player and European bronze medalist Sophie Paterson is a new signing.
Conroy has made it clear how much she relished playing for East London Phoenix and has been the club’s standout out player in their first two seasons. After signing for the London side, Conroy said: “I am genuinely so excited to be playing for East London Phoenix! The creation of the Women’s Premier League is absolutely huge for the sport and for us as players. To be able to compete in the UK and make our sport as accessible as possible – and get a feel for what a great game it is, is amazing!”
Can Phoenix end their home campaign with a win against Welsh raiders Cardiff Met Archers? All roads lead to SportsDock to find out!
🏀 East London Phoenix 2023 squad. Amy Conroy ~ Bethany Wheeler ~ Chloe Fiveash ~ Debee Steel ~ Jodie Waite ~ Curran Brown ~ Chloe Carter ~ Sophie Paterson
TICKETS, TIMINGS & GRAVEL
🎟️ Tickets are available via the ‘Get Tickets’ button. Adults £5/Child £3.
🕒 Tip-off for East London Phoenix v Cardiff Met Archers is at 2pm.
🕒 Tip-off for East London Phoenix men v Barking Abbey in the NBL D3 is at 5pm.
🚊🚗 Travel tips: SportsDock is on the University of East London’s Campus in the Docklands. Public transport is recommended for visiting. The campus is served by the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), with trains running every 5-10 minutes from the Cyprus station. Bus routes serving Docklands include: the 101, 173, 262, 300, 366, 376, 474 and N551. By road the campus is accessible via the A12, A13 roads, and the A406 London circular, however parking restrictions apply. Plan your journey at the Transport for London website.
British Wheelchair Basketball Women’s Premier League
The BWB’s Women’s Premier League is the first para-sport professional league in the UK. And the first of its kind for women’s wheelchair basketball in the world.
The Women’s Premier League is home to the world’s best women’s wheelchair basketball players. The introduction of the league in 2022 marked a game-changing moment for the sport.
Cardiff Met Archers, East London Phoenix, Loughborough Lightning and Worcester Wolves are the four Women’s Premier League teams taking part in Season Three. The teams contested the first two season in 2022 and 2023, bringing to life the fast-paced drama of this highly compelling team sport to new audiences across the UK and beyond. Loughborough Lightning are the defending champions.
This year’s competition will see each team play each other three times in the league. All the teams are a franchise and linked to the four universities. Each are centres of excellence for wheelchair basketball in the UK for both men and women. These High Performance Partnerships develop and nurture wheelchair basketball talent. They also act as hubs to incubate and develop future elite athletes. And increase access to the Paralympic talent pathways across the UK.
The creation of the Women’s Premier League in 2022 was integral to British Wheelchair Basketball’s five-year strategy. This set out the bold targets of delivering a Professional Domestic League, developing a world-class high-performance system and doubling participation in the sport.
(Women’s Premier League information courtesy of the British Wheelchair Basketball website.)
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