Ryan wins national award

Oaklands College Wolves Academy captain Caitlin Ryan has shown that she is multi-talented by winning the Basketball England 2023 National Statistician of the Year.

The award is presented to the leading in-game statistician across the top three divisions of men’s basketball and the top two of the women’s game with the 16-year-old from Bishop’s Stortford becomes the youngest person to ever win it.

While most of basketball closed down during the Covid-19 pandemic, Wolves men and women continued to play behind closed doors and it gave Ryan the chance to be trained by London official Abi Osunsami, and she qualified as the youngest official in the country three years ago.

Since then she has “statted” at the top level of both the men’s and women’s senior games, including the recent WBBL play-off final at the O2, as well as the Elite Academy League and Wolves’ national league games,

The Wolves captain is understandably delighted to win the award: “It’s great to be named as National Statistician of the Year and I’d like to thank everyone who’s helped me reach this level.

“I first started as a statistician during lockdown which was great for me as it meant that I was still able to watch games in person. This then helped me to pass my advanced stats course when I was 14. This year I’ve mainly been doing WBBL and Division 2 men’s games available at Oaklands but previously I’ve done BBL games for London Lions as well.  My favourite games to do the stats for are the hoopsfix.com all star games which I’ve done for the past 2 years.

“Being at Oaklands has helped me to grow as a player and official as there are numerous games where I can work as a statistician or as a table official. I feel by knowing both aspects of the game it’s helped improve my knowledge and IQ as a player.”

“What a fantastic award for Caitlin. Not only is she a dedicated student of the game she has progressed so quickly as a statistician and she thoroughly deserves this award. Seeing her and her mother at the O2 on the table was just wonderful. As an academy we try to help our student athletes develop their skills around the game that adds to their own future employment opportunities and I think Caitlin has grabbed that opportunity with both hands,” said Oaklands College Head of Basketball Michael Ball.

Ryan also drew praise from Basketball England DEO Stewart Kellett and East Region Chairman Graham Hiscock: “This award is a truly special achievement and one Caitlin should be extremely proud of, as our game continues to grow, the importance of quality statisticians is heightened, and as a sport we are proud of the growing group of statisticians we have, so to be recognised as the national leader in this space is a testament to the continued excellence she has displayed” said Kellett.

“Officials are the lifeblood of the sport, so I want to thank Caitlin for being a role model for all developing and aspiring officials.”

“What an amazing achievement for Caitlin to be voted National Statistician of the Year in just your first year at Oaklands College” said Hiscock, who presented the teenager with the East Region Statistician of the Year award prior to Wolves’ final home game of the season. .

“This is a thoroughly deserved recognition for all the time Caitlin has put in to improve yourself in this field but also the time she has taken to help others get qualified as statisticians. Once again massive congratulations from all of us at East Region “

Having started at Oaklands a few days before her 11th birthday, Ryan has worked her way through the junior programme before becoming the club’s youngest Women’s British Basketball League player in April 2023. This season she captained the Elite Academy league side that reached the competition’s semi-final stage as well as playing in the senior NBL Division Two side and making more WBBL appearances than any other academy player.

Successful presentation event for Wolves

A big crowd at an impressively transformed Oaklands College Sports Zone saw Wolves host their annual presentation event on Sunday.

Players from Wolves’ eight juniors sides, four senior weekend teams and the new veterans side were in attendance to receive four awards for each team as well as hear some words from the coaches and a selection of highlight reels on the big screen.

The Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for each team was voted for by the players, with the coaching staff choosing the Most Improved Player (MIP), Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) and Coach’s player winners.

American guard Ri Thompson has terrorised WBBL defences throughout the season, and unsurprisingly collected the women’s MVP, Allison Day winning the MIP, Shaq Wade the DPOY and Claire Abbott – in her final season as a player – lifting the coach’s award from play-caller Lee Ryan.

Captain La’Quarne Sayles regularly poured in the points – including a 47-point haul at Ipswich - despite a difficult season for the Division Two Men, and he deservedly collected the MVP trophy.

Bill Irvine continued where he left off for the U-16s last season by winning both the coach’s and MIP awards while another former junior Wolf Ethan Downing collected the defensive trophy.

Three former junior Wolves also collected awards for the Division Three Men, with Milic Pavic winning MVP, Dontel Rose MIP and captain Dan Kostadinov the coach’s award, with Lewis Street picking up the DPOY

The Division Two Women – made up entirely of academy players – narrowly missed out on a place in the play-off, and all four award winners came through the junior programme and have been at Oaklands for at least six seasons. Captain Caitlin Ryan won the MVP award, with Lily Harkness taking the MIP, Joanna Akpan the DPOY and Ella Brown the coach’s award from Claire Abbott.

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Eunice Wong was the winner of the U-16 girls MVP, with Lucy Claridge winning defensive player and U-14 Daisy Golan getting the MIP award. Having hit a game winner and also scoring a basket to take another game to overtime, Elise Beardsworth deservedly won the coach’s award.

A tough campaign saw the U-16 boys eventually stave off the prospect of competing in the relegation play-offs, and Otis Lau-Johnston became the only junior to collect two awards, being voted MVP by his team-mates and DPOY by his coach George Walker. Daniel Vega grabbed the MIP while Jayan Pisharody went home with the coach’s player trophy.

Despite playing up two age groups, U-15 captain Jacob Edrupt was clear winner of the MVP award for his team, while Oliver Thomas (MIP), Seth Coetzee (DPOY) and Kean Berba (coach’s) all collected trophies from Coach Sayles.

Wolves U-14 boys could claim to be the club’s most successful side having made it through to the JNBL Premier play-offs, and it was Liam Schertel who got the nod from his team-mates with the MVP. Zac Butterworth received the coach’s award from Ibrahim Garbia while Sam Mcree (MIP) and Titouan Vimeux (DPOY) also went home clutching silverware.

There was little surprise that Jane Yu collected the U-14 girls MVP after a season where she also regularly started for the U-16s. Another regular in the older age group, Olivia Akers, received the coach’s award from Allison Day, with Isobel Reed winning DPOY and Guari Kohli DPOY.

U-13 captain Alex Ryan followed in his sister’s footsteps by winning his side’s MVP trophy, with play-caller George Walker presenting Harry Regan with MIP, Frank Fojit DPOY and Ethan Fraser-Evans with the coach’s award.

Martha Riley went home clutching the U-12 girls MVP award after a first JNBL season for the club at JNBL level, while Rose Marsh won the award from the coaching staff. Francesca Scott went home with the DPOY, while Martha Riles win MIP.

A high-scoring season saw Manuel Gracia Peris collect the U-12 boys’ MVP as his team finished second in their division of the JNBL, only losing to league champions MK Breakers. Tristan Ball won the coaches’ award, Alex Cofone getting MIP and Aiden Harriman the DPOY.

At the start of the 2021/22 season a few players’ dads took a spare Saturday morning hour on the court at Oaklands, and within two years the group had grown to the point that they entered the Herts League Division Two. With some players returning to the game after one or even two decades, it was tough going at times but they finished the season with WINS from 18 games. Erik Witt won the side’s MVP, John Bretherton collected MIP, Ian Johnston was DPOY while Fraser MacFarlane received the coach’s award.

George Walker managed to coach seven of the club’s junior national league sides (the U-14s avoided his reign of terror) along with the D3 men at least once, and he was rewarded with the Wolves Club Person of the Year trophy.

Finally Academy players Grace Foster, Caitlin Ryan, Jack Davies, Amye Swinney and Stella Ekblad-Piscatelli all received special mentions for their additional coaching with the club’s Elevate programme which introduces basketball to primary school pupils.

Play-off dream dashed in Durham

Oaklands Wolves saw their hopes of a place in the Women's British Basketball League play-offs end with a heart-breaking 72-70 loss at Durham Palatinates, on Saturday.

Shaq Wade saw a potentially game-winning shot rim out as she had an open jump shot, leaving Durham able to seal the victory from the foul line.

Such a disappointing end for Lee Ryan's team had looked unlikely in the opening stages as Wade's drive to the basket saw them take a 24-11 lead into the first break and although the hosts fought back in the second period it was Wade who gave Wolves a 40-32 half-time lead with a lay-up.

Durham scored the first nine points of the second half to take the lead, but Claire Abbott's triple put Wolves back in front and she drained another shot from downtown to send the visitors into the final break with a 54-49 advantage.         

It was the Ri Thompson [pictured] show at the start of the fourth period and Wolves' top scorer hit a floater, a pair of free-throws and a driving lay-up to keep the visitors in front, and Amy West's basket saw them take a 62-54 lead into the final seven minutes.

But Harriett Ottewell-Soulsby capped a 12-2 run to give Durham a two-point lead with 3:21 on the clock before Wade pulled up for a jump shot to tie the game with three minutes remaining. 

Ottewell-Soulsby restored Palatinates' lead before Eliza Brault hit a dagger three to put her side up by five with two minutes on the clock and although Thompson proved cool at the line with four straight free-throws, the hosts held on for the win.

Thompson led Wolves with 19 points, six rebounds and two steals, with Wade adding 12 points and six boards. Day had a big double-double for the second week running, adding 16 rebounds to her 13 points and three steals.