Matilda Upfold and Abubakar Odawa have been named the latest WEABL and EABL Players of the Week after leading HHS Reading Rockets and SGS College to victories on 14 October.[1]
The awards provide a fresh individual follow-up to the Academy Leagues programme, recognising two all-round performances rather than simply the final scores.[1]
Upfold powers Reading’s opening win
Upfold recorded 24 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and three steals as HHS Reading won 90–53 away to BMet City of Birmingham Rockets. She also made four three-pointers and finished with an efficiency rating of 31.[1]
The Reading player credited the team’s work in securing its first win of the season.[1] Head coach Jack Adams highlighted her scoring at three levels as well as her passing, defence and rebounding.[1]
Upfold was joined in the WEABL Team of the Week by Reading team-mate Arianna Awusa, who contributed 17 points and 12 rebounds. Brooke Turner of The Canterbury Academy, Barking Abbey’s Sytira Smith and Nottingham Academy Wildcats’ Ophelia Larder-Lee completed the five.[1]
Odawa makes his mark at both ends
Odawa scored 22 points on 66 per cent shooting as SGS beat Copleston Basketball Academy 79–65. He added six rebounds, two assists and seven steals, producing a 30 efficiency rating.[1]
SGS head coach Chris Bourne praised the guard’s energy at both ends of the floor, while Odawa placed the emphasis on his team-mates and the importance of securing the team’s first win.[1]
The EABL Team of the Week also included Barking Abbey’s Munyaradzi Nyamutenha, BMet’s Kurmani Patel Blake, Myerscough College’s AJ Smith and Manchester Magic guard Nathan Brown. Brown earned the final place after supplying 19 points, five rebounds and six assists in Magic’s one-point win over UTC Sheffield.[1]
Basketball England selects the weekly teams using efficiency, statistics, team and opposition strength, influential periods and winning performances, while exceptional displays in defeat can also be considered.[1]
For Upfold and Odawa, the awards underline the range of their contributions: scoring led the headline, but rebounding, playmaking and defensive impact made both performances stand out.