Women's British Basketball League: Essex Rebels excited to host Trophy weekender

Claire Paxton joined the Rebels from Durham and played for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games

Essex Rebels hope to make home advantage count when they host 15 other teams for the opening weekend of the WBBL Trophy knockout competition.

It is the first time the Trophy weekender has been staged at the University of Essex and the hosts will take on 2021 runners-up Sevenoaks Suns.

Four WNBL sides will be competing alongside the 12 WBBL teams.

"It's a really fun way to start the new year, something a bit different," said Rebels forward Claire Paxton.

"Since the pandemic [began in 2020], it's the first time it's happened since then and hosting it makes it even more fun for us.

"In the WBBL [Women's British Basketball League], it's the one chance in the whole year to have us all playing in the one venue.

"A lot of us know each other on the different teams and for the people around Colchester and Essex to be able to have access to all the best teams in the country in one place is really exciting for us."

• Listen to full interview with Claire Paxton

The Essex Sport Arena is renowned for having a great atmosphere and 2021 winners, the London Lions, will take on Brent Bulls - one of the four Women's National Basketball League teams taking part - in the opening match on Saturday.

"It's a great opportunity for the university to show off their facility, but also our team and what we're about, for us to be able to host this event is a great opportunity for us," assistant coach Will Twigg told BBC Look East.

"Women's basketball is growing. Obviously at the Commonwealth Games the women finished second, earning silver, it was a massive thing for us in England.

"Claire Paxton performed for Scotland at that Commonwealth Games and she's the role model, right there, for us and for our game, especially in our community and our area."

The Rebels, who joined the WBBL in 2018-19, are sixth in the Championship standings but Sevenoaks are one place above them, so reaching round two of the Trophy will require them to be at their best.

"We lost to Sevenoaks in December and we want to get them back for that game," Paxton added.

"Ultimately our goal is to win a trophy this season so hopefully we do ourselves proud at the weekend.

"Having the crowd here gives us a lot of momentum and energy. That'll help us as well because Sevenoaks are a really tough side."

Trophy weekender fixtures

Saturday: Brent Bulls v London Lions, Durham Palatinates v Cardiff Met Archers, Essex Rebels v Sevenoaks Suns, Caledonia Gladiators v Thames Valley Cavaliers.

Sunday: Oaklands Wolves v Leicester Riders, Manchester Met Mystics v Southwark Pride, Newcastle Eagles v Nottingham Wildcats, Sheffield Hatters v Ipswich Basketball