The good news keeps coming for Lions women as coach Mark Clark has followed up last week's success in the WBBL Cup final by winning a second successive Molten WBBL Coach of the Month award, and a third this season.
Clark's team made history by winning the WBBL Cup as a record crowd for a women's game in Britain of 6,188 saw them beat Newcastle Eagles 87-47 Lions now hold all three WBBL knockout titles, and after an early exchange of baskets, Clark's team were in control throughout after holding Eagles to just 18 first half points, and only another nine in the third quarter, with six early points from MVP Azania Stewart and triples from Jo Leedham-Warner, Cassie Breen and Shanice Beckford-Norton resulting in a 15-3 start and a lead that stayed in double-figures from the end of the first quarter onwards.
In an otherwise fairly quiet month in the WBBL, Lions also remained unbeaten at 11-0 in the chase for the WBBL Championship title with a big 97-53 road win at top four contenders Leicester Riders, who had lost just once at home all season back in October, with the consistency of their offensive output shining through. Averaging 95 points per game, Lions have the league's most potent offence and scored more than 20 points in each quarter of this game as Breen came from the bench to hit 10 points in a row early in the second stanza to establish a double-figure lead, Lions then holding their hosts to 10 and 11 in the second and third to take control.
Overall Lions are 15-0 in all domestic competitions so far this season, gunning for a quadruple as they lead the league in a variety of offensive categories including scoring, field goal percentage, free-throw percentage, offensive rebounds and fast break points. Clark and his team are now on a two-week international break but next up they face a big game against the in-form Sheffield Hatters, currently third in the table at 11-1 and the only team to have finished a game within one shot of Lions - a crucial head-to-head is on the line.
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