All-Star 5 – Week 21 – Women’s British Basketball…

The combined index score of this week’s All-Star 5 is the highest of the season so far, led by outstanding performances from Lauren Saiki and Abbie Wolf, and it has a familiar feel with a pair of representatives from London Lions after they reached the Betty Codona WBBL Trophy Final as, overall, three of the team are among the top five players in appearances so far this season.

Lauren Saiki – Cardiff Met Archers
Cardiff Met Archers jumped up into the final WBBL Play-off spot in what is a fascinating race for the post-season with a first win in four games, beating Manchester Met Mystics behind a sensational triple-double from Lauren Saiki as she makes her third All-Star 5 appearance of the season but first since week five. She posted 24 points on 10-16 (62%) shooting, with 12 assists and 10 rebounds, as well as four steals, including 10 points and five assists early on as Archers established a first quarter lead, followed by three assists and five rebounds in a 21-9 fourth quarter that settled the game.

Abbie Wolf – Caledonia Gladiators
Caledonia Gladiators are back into a share of fourth place in the WBBL Championship table after a road win at Oaklands Wolves on Saturday, as Abbie Wolf barely missed on her way to a second All-Star 5 showing in the last four weeks. She poured in 26 points on an amazing 13-14 (92%) shooting and completed a double-double with 13 rebounds, also handing out four assists and blocking two shots, including 10 points in the first quarter as Gladiators built an early double-figure lead and were hardly threatened thereafter.

Holly Winterburn – London Lions
Great Britain international guard Holly Winterburn is joint-third in overall All-Star 5 appearances, earning her fifth of the campaign after London Lions beat Sheffield Hatters in the Betty Codona WBBL Trophy semi-finals – they will defend the Trophy, after Winterburn was awarded MVP in last year’s final. She was eyeing up a triple-double with 26 points on 9-13 (69%) interior shooting, adding eight assists, eight rebounds and four steals, including four points and three assists in a second stanza run that kept them in front in a tight game, before seven points in under four minutes as they scored 36 in the third to break the game wide open.

Araion Bradshaw – Sevenoaks Suns
Second in overall All-Star 5 appearances, Araion Bradshaw features for the seventh time this season and fifth time in the last eight weeks after Sevenoaks Suns bounced back from defeat last week to maintain third spot in the WBBL Championship table, beating Nottingham Wildcats at home. Bradshaw posted a double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds, along with six assists and three steals, while shooting 9-13 (69%) from the field, including nine points, three assists and two steals in the opening period as Suns built a lead and kept their noses in front, before adding four points, four boards and three assists in a 28-7 third quarter that decided the contest.

Kiki Herbert Harrigan – London Lions
Joint-third with her teammate in overall appearances, former WNBA star Kiki Herbert Harrigan features in the All-Star 5 for the fourth time in the last five weeks, and fifth time overall, following that Betty Codona WBBL Trophy semi-final success. She matched Winterburn with a game-high 26 points, shooting 9-13 (69%) from the floor and 7-8 (87%) from the free-throw line, with six rebounds, three steals and two assists, including 15 of the 36 third quarter points that settled the game.

Off the bench: Shannon Hatch (Cardiff Met Archers), Samantha Keltos (Manchester Met Mystics), Chantelle Handy (Caledonia Gladiators), Daniela Turner (Essex Rebels), Sun Swart (Essex Rebels), Imani Whittington (Nottingham Wildcats), Karly Murphy (Sheffield Hatters).