London Lions continue WBBL dominance with second Cup title

London Lions successfully defended their WBBL Cup title with a crushing 95-42 win over Leicester Riders in the 2023 final, in Birmingham on Sunday.

Mark Clark’s side collect their seventh piece of silverware and extended their unbeaten domestic run to 51 games.

Holly Winterburn led the way as MVP with 16 points, five rebounds and nine assists against her former side, while Kiki Herbert-Harrigan top scored with 19 points and Kat Snytsina added 14 points as all 11 players got onto the scoresheet.

Box score.

It was Snytsina who made a strong start with successive triples as well as back-to-back assists as London moved 11-5 ahead. Oliana Squires was carrying the scoring load for the Riders; quickly climbing into double figures with half of those coming from the line.

However, the Lions put together a 6-1 close to the opening quarter that was capped by Shanice Beckford-Norton at the buzzer to make it 24-15. They continued the momentum at the start of the second as Snytsina scored five straight in a 10-0 run to double up the score in a 17-point lead.

London’s defence was relentless – in particular keeping Ashley Arlen to an 0-6 start – and they were just as ruthless at the other end as Herbert-Harrigan and Winterburn knocked down triples to further extend the lead – going in at half-time up 48-26.

Snytsina added another triple early on in the third as there was no let up from London with a controlling 25-9 period to move 73-35 in front. The Riders scored the first five points of the fourth before enduring another baron stretch with just two more points to their final total, while Herbert-Harrigan sealed the win with two more triples.

Squires was the only player in double figures for the Riders with 23 points.

Notes

– London Lions have now won 51 games in a row in all competitions
– Lions starters: Murray, Winterburn, Snytsina, Herbert-Harrigan, Stewart
– Riders starters: Squires, Johnston, Robb, Brown, Arlen
– London were defending champions, Leicester won the title in 2021
– Winterburn becomes the first player to win the Cup three times

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