The Nottingham Wildcats clinched a shock place in the Super League Basketball Women (SLBW) playoffs last season — can they continue to defy the odds?

So far this offseason, it has been nothing but bad news for the Nottingham Wildcats with the confirmed departure of star player Jo Langbehn — a move they most likely predicted and prepared for.

After losing such a critical piece of their blueprint, how should the Wildcats go about their business this offseason?

Find external investment

Now, finding external investment is as simple as acquiring a player for a squad; this requires hard work, careful due diligence, and finding a party that truly cares about the development of women’s basketball.

Frankly, this is a plan that should have commenced well before the offseason, but without extra budget, Nottingham are unlikely to progress to the higher echelons of the league.

Investment doesn’t have to come in the form of a Middle-Eastern consortium wanting to rip up the playbook and start again. The fact of the matter is, this level of investment is not coming to a programme that hasn’t made the steps to become a professional club.

Shrewd sponsorship deals and optimising the facilities the Wildcats have available will be critical moving forward.

However, as previously mentioned, this kind of move doesn’t happen overnight, and anything concrete is unlikely to happen for the 2026-27 season.

Replace Jo Langbehn

I mean, good luck with that. Jo Langbehn was truly sensational for the Nottingham Wildcats last season and was deserving of securing a move to the GiroLive Panthers in Germany.

The 23-year-old averaged 18.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.5 stocks per game, while shooting 56.1% from the floor. This level of production can only be discovered through a deep dive into the NCAA and a huge stroke of luck.

Replacing this level of scoring and rebounding prowess is going to be difficult, and Nottingham’s best option is to avoid spending their budget on a like-for-like player. Concentrating on making this production up over several positions would be the smarter alternative.

Youth development has been the identity the Wildcats have assumed in the era of the SLBW, and this is likely the avenue they will continue to embrace.

There will be an abundance of frontcourt options desperate to embark on a similar journey to Langbehn and kickstart their professional careers.

The Nottingham Wildcats now have a proven pathway for these sorts of promising players and should look to use Jo Langbehn as a sales pitch in hopes of a discounted price in wages.