The London Lions will look to continue their resurgence under the tutelage of Kyla Nelson.

After a disastrous 2024-25 season, the London Lions finally roared back into life last year as Kyla Nelson led the team to a promising 6th-place finish in the regular-season standings.

Can things continue to improve under their impressive head coach? And what does the franchise need to do in the offseason to make this happen?

Retain Annika Shah

Annika Shah was a revelation in her first year in British basketball. The rookie lit up Super League Basketball Women (SLBW) in almost every way. Fiery performances, ridiculous shot-making, and a keen eye for pass — very few defenders could limit the dangerous guard’s production.

Players who make an incredible level of impact in their first year as a professional usually depart our shores at the first time of asking; this is the current reality of basketball in this country. However, London must do everything in their power to prevent this from happening.

Whether she wants a major increase in money or guarantees of a roster that can compete for the championship, the Lions must entertain Shah’s requests if they are serious about becoming one of the country’s leading forces.

Over 18 regular-season games, Shah averaged 19.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5,2 assists. With a stronger supporting cast, it is inevitable that her offensive production will continue to increase.

With little inside knowledge, it is hard to believe that Annika Shah will not be playing her basketball overseas next season, but if the London Lions want to continue to climb the standings, she is a player they can’t afford to lose.

Acquire a secondary ball handler

Yes, just a few paragraphs ago, I highlighted Shah’s ability to facilitate plays and dictate London’s offensive game plan, but this does not mean the franchise should not broaden their horizons to compete at a higher level.

Now, whether this is a player to take the ball out of Shah’s hands and allow her to devastate teams with shrewd movements, or if they arrive to supplement what the Lions superstar brings to the table, a second playmaker will add more strings to the team’s bow.

With the departure of Jada Lewis already confirmed by the Lions, the roster’s depth in the backcourt is looking scarce, and any players arriving at the club must bring quality — there could be more options on the market than expected.

Again, through pure speculation, could Sheffield Hatters royalty be available to acquire? Georgia Gayle was listed as ‘unattached’ during a recent 3×3 squad announcement from Basketball England, fuelling debate that her time with the Hatters could be coming to a shocking end.

Few teams in the league could afford Gayle on their roster, and frankly match her ambition, but if the London Lions do feel like they have a higher budget than most and want to make a serious statement of intent, there will never be a better player to acquire in the current market.