We are now getting into the thick of the offseason, and Manchester Basketball will be looking to ride the momentum they created last season.

Manchester Basketball is an ambitious franchise that wishes to climb the Super League Basketball Women’s (SLBW) standings, and fast. What moves must they make to ensure this dream becomes a reality?

Retain star trio

It was a mixed bag year for Manchester Basketball: a trip to the SLB Cup final on their home turf but an inconsistent regular-season campaign. It wasn’t a case of the team not being good enough; it was a case of riding the minutes of their devastating ‘Big Three’ and hoping it was enough to get over the line.

Manchester had an impressive squad of players, but it was Frannie Hottinger, Maaja Bratka, and Tiarra East who led the team in scoring, creating a partnership few opponents could contain — only when they found their rhythm.

Losing Irene Oboavwoduo to the NCAA, Manchester can’t afford to lose any more scoring output. Hottinger, Bratka, and East combined for a whopping 47.1 points per game.

Defensively, this trio was no pushover, with Bratka leading the way. The physical center averaged 8.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. Bratka can consider herself very unfortunate that Megan Mullings deservedly pipped her to the Defensive Player of the Year award.

Progression has to be built upon a stable foundation, and last year, Manchester had more than that. These three players are outstanding building blocks if the franchise wishes to make a deep postseason charge.

Snatch Jessica Eadesforth-Yates away from Sheffield

The unconfirmed word around the league is that there are going to be a lot of moving parts this summer, and there is no reason why the Sheffield Hatters will not be immune to a potential exodus.

With that being said, nothing is concrete, but if Manchester Basketball have the opportunity to bolster their backcourt, they can’t pass it up — and what better way to do that than bringing Jessica Eadesforth-Yates back home.

During her time with the Hatters, Eadesforth-Yates proved she is more than capable of running an offensive unit, and one that boasts many star players. With a more prominent role in attacking areas, the dynamic guard could take Manchester to the next level.

After being a late addition to the Sheffield roster, Eadesforth-Yates acclimatised to her surroundings quickly. She averaged 8.4 points, 4.8 assists, and 1.9 steals per game.

Scoring efficiency wasn’t the Hatters’ playmakers’ strong suit (38.4% from the floor), but alongside a supporting cast that contains Hottinger, Bratka, and East, this shouldn’t be a major problem for Manchester.

It can’t be understated how big of an offseason this will be for Manchester Basketball.