Loughborough Lightning are heading into the 2023 season of the Women’s Premier League as reigning champions, having won the title in the inaugural season last year. Lightning get their campaign underway this Sunday (29th January) as they welcome Worcester Wolves for their season opener.
Head coach George Bates and Assistant Coach James Maudsley look to continue to build on last year’s success with the added motivation of defending their title. The East Midlands based team have welcomed several new players to their line-up, including Netherlands international and Paralympic Games champion Bo Kramer. Anastasia Blease, Maddie Martin, Jess Atherley and Kirsty Taylor head to Lightning this season.
Head Coach George Bates commented:
“Our goals are to defend our title; we want to improve on last year. While we went undefeated, there are still areas we can improve in as a team. But ultimately it is to win the league and win the play offs.
“The team itself is looking great and the atmosphere within the squad is really good, especially because of the addition of a few new players – they have fit in really quickly and everyone made them feel very welcome.
“The signing of Bo Kramer is a real coup, she’s come straight into the team with the exact attitude I would like our players to have and she has elevated the level of play of the squad in the sessions she has been at. I think the approach to training is that we just want to get better every session no matter what that is, whether its nutrition or physio, whatever that is we just want to get better in those areas.
“The team has put in a huge amount of work, players and staff, to achieve that and I am super excited for the season to start and get to see what we get to look like on the floor.”
Captain and GB Women’s Robyn Love commented:
“Our prep has been great, we’re able to really springboard from our undefeated season as National Champions. We are bringing in some great fresh talent, some overseas talent, which we are just so excited about. New year, new opportunity, and a fresh chance to show what Lightning 2023 is all about.
“I am incredibly proud to represent Loughborough Lightning. It was always my dream to be part of this University somehow and I’m so grateful that I am able to play alongside some fantastic players. It was great to be involved in an incredible community last year, our crowd really were our thirteenth player – the thunderstorm was brought!
“I really think every time the opposition came to our home turf, the storm shelter, they really felt it! I’m just so excited to build on that this season with our new players with the community that we have got. Not only that I really do think that the Lightning community has come together this season, with Lightning football and the rugby girls, I feel like we are creating just one team – we really are Team Lightning.”
Lightning play their season opener at home on Loughborough University campus, welcoming Worcester Wolves to the Netball Centre on Sunday (29th January). Find out more: https://www.lboro.ac.uk/sport/performance/lightning/wheelchair-basketball/fixtures-tickets/
Every Women’s Premier League game will be livestreamed on the British Wheelchair Basketball YouTube channel. The full fixtures list can be found here: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/competition/womens-premier-league-2022-23
