Basketball Bristol Flyers look to future after sealing women’s title

BRISTOL Flyers women’s coach Gareth Till has declared this is just the beginning after his team sealed their first national title, writes Neil Maggs.

The Flyers claimed the regular season WNBL Division One League crown after a long and hard-fought campaign, finishing with a record of 15 wins and three losses.

It was won after the Loughborough Riders forfeited the final fixture on Saturday, March 23, which took the Flyers above rivals Anglia Ruskin in the final standings by a margin of two points.

This is the first time a women’s basketball team from Bristol have won a UK League title. Bristol Flyers Women play their matches at Filton Wise Arena, and are led by former men’s Flyers captain Till, who has guided the team to their first silverware.

“I’m so happy for the players, in a lot of cases this is the first time they’ve won anything,” Till said. “This confirms we have been the best team over the course of the season. We’ve got a taste for it and we want more.”

He added: “From the outset, we wanted this team to reach the highest league status of UK women’s basketball. Winning WNBL Div 1 is a part of that process as we continue on build our credentials.”

The team has flourished this season under captain Fiona Fox, and in particular new signings Flo Ward and Romanian Under-20 international Cristina Bigica, who ended up among the WSL’s leading scorers with an average of 17 points per game.

There were also big performances from the likes of Mai Zilbeta, Becky Cantin and Hannah Wallace, helping them push to the top of the league.

All the Flyers team hold down regular jobs, or study full time. Sponsorship from the likes of Meade King solicitors and support from Bristol Sport helps them, but as the game gets more exposure nationally, more investment will no doubt come into the game. To take the club to the next level for coach Till it’s vital. He said: “We are ambitious and want to go as far as we can. Our ultimate goal is the WBBL, (Women’s British Basketball League) and it’s something we are considering. But it comes down to logistics and finances.”

Before that there is still hard work to be done this season. They may have won the league title, but like in the men’s BBL, there are play-offs to contend with. The play off championship will see them take on likely opponents Barking Abbey in the quarter-final on April 6 with homecourt advantage.

Progression throughout the playoffs, could see the Bristol Flyers make it to the final which will be held in Manchester on April 27 and 28.