All focus now shifts to Sheffield Hatters vs Caledonia Gladiators in the Super League Basketball Women (SLBW) Playoff Final, but who are the unsung heroes who will not be featuring on the final day of the season?

Despite a disparity in quality during various matchups this season, there have been stunning individual campaigns that have garnered less attention than the big names of the league.

This is a dedication post to an “Alternative Team of the Year”.

PG: Paige Meyer (Essex Rebels)

Traditional point guards are hard to come by in the modern era; however, Paige Meyer does a fantastic job of facilitating the offence while adding a scoring punch.

Meyer’s ability to link up with her fellow teammates, most notably Nat Chou and Quinesha Lockett, provides Essex with the flexibility to expose flaws in the opposition’s defence.

Throughout the championship campaign, the versatile guard averaged 13.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, while shooting 59.5% from the floor.

Leading the Rebels to third position in the championship standings alongside 13 wins on the season, Paige Meyer deserves her place at the head of this team.

SG: Annika Shah (London Lions)

From the two, Annika Shah would dominate. Her switchability on offence, again, provides London with versatility that makes them a difficult customer to deal with.

Shah’s development over the season from deep and driving towards the rim has been impressive to say the least. Rookie campaigns do not come much better than this.

London’s offensive talisman led the league in scoring with 19.8 points per game, while also registering 4.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.

Annika Shah may be a smaller guard, but she plays with the heart of a lion — pardon the pun.

SF: Frannie Hottinger (Manchester Basketball)

Another rookie and another sensational campaign. When Manchester found form this season, it was inspired by the dangerous connection that Frannie Hottinger, Maaja Bratka, and Tiarra East created on the floor.

Replacing the 2025 SLBW MVP Danni Williams was always going to be a mammoth task for any player, but Hottinger brought a tenacious brand of basketball to Manchester this season.

Hottinger’s interior presence was nothing short of phenomenal, as she recorded 17.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

If Manchester Basketball wish to build upon its solid championship campaign, it must retain its key core of players, which is undoubtedly fronted by Frannie Hottinger.

PF: Danni McCray (Oaklands Wolves)

Finding a forward who can fit into various lineups, while performing multiple defensive and offensive responsibilities consistently is a difficult job for any team — Danni McCray has managed this for two consecutive seasons.

McCray has become a part of an Oaklands Wolves system that relies on every single player pulling their weight and contributing in almost every category.

Most importantly, the Oaklands fan favourite’s scoring and board production has provided her partner in crime, Shanice Beckford-Norton, with a stable foundation to spring a devastating transition offence all season long.

McCray has averaged 12.1 points and seven rebounds over 18 championship games this year, and the Oaklands Wolves will be praying that they retain her services for another campaign.

C: Johanna Langbehn (Nottingham Wildcats)

Last but certainly not least is Johanna Langbehn. While the Nottingham Wildcats may not have had the budget of every team in the league, the emergence of Langbehn has been a major talking point throughout the SLBW.

The 23-year-old led the charge for the Wildcats as they made an unexpected push for the postseason. Her physical approach put defenders on the back foot, and they could not formulate an effective plan to limit her production.

Langbehn registered an incredible 18.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, while undeniably attracting suitors from around the league ahead of the 2026-27 SLBW season.

From a personal standpoint, this was a fantastic year for Johanna Langbehn, and she will be a name that we can expect to hear for years to come if her future lies on British shores.