Sheffield Hodges might have another MVP candidate in Tierra Hodges.

After failing to re-sign with the Caledonia Gladiators, Tierra Hodges looked ready to finally jump ship from British basketball and take her exceptional talents overseas.

However, in a move that could already be the deciding factor in this year’s Super League Basketball Women (SLBW) championship, Hodges has accepted an offer to become the Hatters’ new offensive talisman.

There have been wholesale changes in Sheffield this season as both Megan Mullings and Georgia Gayle left the franchise, leaving gaping talent leadership voids to fill.

Acquiring someone with Tierra Hodges’ powers proves that the Hatters aren’t settling for a transition year; they will continue to chase history.

Hodges is the perfect statement signing

If a team loses their star player and the reigning MVP of the league after a sensational quadruple campaign, the franchise must accept that questions over their future will be raised pretty swiftly.

Preseason has barely begun, and the Hatters have already answered them. Hodges has shown during her time with the Newcastle Eagles and the Caledonia Gladiators that she is capable of leading a team’s offense.

If this is a like-for-like replacement for Megan Mullings, it is about as close as you can get to a two-way forward who can impose their presence on the boards.

Throughout the 2025-26 season, Hodges averaged 17.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game, while shooting 55.3% from the floor.

Much like Mullings, Hodges isn’t a player who is going to stretch the floor and attempt a high percentage of shots from deep, but that will undoubtedly work in Sheffield’s favour.

A player of this profile will allow Jessica Eadsforth-Yates, Nina Krisper, and Shauna Harrison to create offence from this range.

Most importantly, Hodges won’t require a long period of adjustment to become accustomed to the Sheffield Hatters’ culture. The 27-year-old knows exactly what is required to compete at the high echelons of the SLBW.

It is no understatement to suggest that the signing of Hodges changes the entire landscape for the Hatters.

Sheffield will now be heavy favourites to retain every trophy this season, while Tierra Hodges will have her sights set on her first MVP trophy.