Manchester’s Davida Dale entered the teams’ pre-Christmas SLBW clash with the Durham Palatinates as the first player this season to record a triple double after a home win against Caledonia Gladiators earlier in December. 12 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists also meant Dale was the first Manchester player in the top flight league, with 13 assists since Georgia Anderson in 2019.
Against Durham she surpassed her own record and achieved something no other player in the history of top flight UK Basketball has done in the WBBL and SLBW eras. Notching up a rare quadruple double: 12 points, 13 rebounds, 14 assists and 10 steals. In a performance for the ages that will go down in history, Dale had her fingerprints all over Manchester’s 106-50 win.
Playing in her first season in the UK, after graduating from the University of Rhode Island in 2020 and playing in Australia, Lithuania, Finland and Sweden, Dale’s consistent, all round play has made a huge impact for Manchester so far. The 5″11 guard’s exceptional court vision results in her accounting for 35% of Manchester’s 22.6 assists per game and nearly a third of their steals. In addition to leading the league in assists per game with 7.9, Dale is pulling down 7.9 rebounds (good for 7th), in addition to 8.1 points and 2.9 spg (4th). Watching Dale on court using her athleticism and long wingspan its clear to see why she was named the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year in NBL1 East whilst playing for the Sydney Comets last summer. She is able to read passing lanes and almost appears to know what her opponent is going to do before they do it.
Coming off a 73-70 loss to the Leicester Riders and a mid season coaching change, Manchester Basketball headed into their final game of 2024 with a point to prove. Sitting in 4th place with 4 wins and 3 losses, Manchester faced a Durham team coming off a week’s rest after an 80-72 win against the Nottingham Wildcats two weeks prior. Durham withstood a 27 point comeback from the Wildcats in a game where all 5 starters played 40 minutes. Marina Fernandez-Pardo also added the second triple double of the season with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Manchester rose to the challenge, after leading by 4 to end the first quarter, stepped up the pressure, dropping 31 points in the second on their way to a dominant victory.
An all round team effort meant Dale’s historic statline wasn’t the only one on show. Danni Williams racked up season highs in points (32), made threes (6), rebounds (13) and steals (6). After spending 3 seasons in France, Williams made the move over to the SLBW where she leads the league in made 3 pointers with 28 while shooting 40.6% from behind the arc. Annie Warren also had a career night from the field, dropping 25 points on 76.9% shooting. As the all time leader in threes made with 222 when she graduated Stoney Brook University in 2023, Warren has put her stamp on the SLBW week in and out as Manchester’s second leading scorer. Hannah Shaw provided efficiency off the bench as she finished perfect from the field with 10 points on 5/5 shooting. Playing in her 8th season in the top flight league, Shaw’s reliable post play helped Manchester win the battle of the boards 52-45 and outscore the Palatinates 50-20 in the paint. Nicolette Fairley also added in a season high 7 points and 2 rebounds.
After switching the sunny skies of Brisbane for Manchester, Bride Kennedy-Hopoate (9 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast) has been doing it on both ends of the floor this season. A big who can shoot the three (she hit 5/6 against Essex earlier in the season) averaging 14.1 ppg and 5.9 rpg, makes her a dangerous prospect for teams to face. Young talent, Eva Karasaite continues to show her improvement on court each game and she hit the 3 which would take Manchester to 100 late in the 4th quarter.
Manchester’s win also saw Rheanne Bailey pick up her first win as Head Coach in the home matchup after being appointed to the role earlier in December. An accomplished coach and player who knows her personnel well; Bailey was part of the Manchester Mystics team who won the inaugural WBBL Cup in the 2016-17 season alongside Georgia Anderson (3 ast), Lauren Thomas-Johnson (8 pts, 5 reb) and Manchester Basketball’s Dom Allen.
Ending the year on a high note, the team will now look toward their first opponents of 2025, the unbeaten Oaklands Wolves.
Next up: Manchester travel to Oaklands Wolves on Saturday 11th January.
Watch the full game back on the SLBW Youtube channel:
FocusHoops 