Mendes’ MVP showing saw him put up 17 points and nine rebounds for Lewis Scott’s side.

The Red team also received strong contributions from Emilis Zibuda who finished with an impactful 16 points. Demi Babalola was another player who had a key role in the game as he finished with numbers of 13 points and nine boards.

While Team Red were the better side in the second half, they struggled to handle the intensity and play of Team Black early on.

A late flurry from Team Black saw them end the first quarter strong to lead 31-19 after the opening period.

Team Red responded strongly in the second quarter to cut down on the deficit. Zibuda then produced a highlight moment and hit a three at the buzzer at the end of the first half to pull the Red squad within a point of Team Black entering the break.

The game remained a close battle throughout the third period and Team Red eventually overturned their one point halftime deficit to lead 69-66 after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, a dunk in transition by Dunk Contest champion Obinna Ekufu extended Team Red’s lead to six points.

Although Team Black looked to rally late through strong play from Ethan Round and Kervy Mabaya, the Red Team ultimately prevailed by a margin of five points.

Mabaya was the game’s highest scorer after the Barking Abbey player finished with 20 points for Team Black.

Round also made his presence felt late on his way to a 12 point performance, while Kelvin Clement and Junior Sanchez both chipped in with 11 points for the Black squad.

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Ekufu compiled a total score of 75 in the final round to claim the title. A product of Barking Abbey, Ekufu set the tone early during his first dunk with an assist from last year’s Dunk Contest champion and former teammate Amarlie Wilkinson.

Andrew Nwokolo and Kelvin Clement also took part in the dunk contest with both players needing to face off in a tiebreaker after they finished with identical scores following the first round.

Clement would win the tiebreak round to advance to the final against Ekufu.

Full results

First round: Obinna Ekufu 65 (33, 32), Andrew Nwokolo 58 (27, 31), Kelvin Clement (20, 38)

Kelvin Clement wins tiebreaker over Andrew Nwokolo to advance to final

Final: Obinna Ekufu 75 (39, 36), Kelvin Clement 51 (34,17)

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Vella came off the bench and shot 5 of 9 from the field, while last year’s All Star Classic MVP Irene Oboavwoduo also had a solid contribution for Team Black and tallied 10 points.

The matchup between Kyla Nelson’s and Chloe Gaynor’s rosters was an intense and high quality contest throughout the four quarters and Team Red threatened to potentially take the lead in the final period.

However, some good defense down the stretch from Team Black helped their side secure the hard fought win.

While they ultimately fell short, Team Red were able to produce a balanced offensive display with three players scoring in double figures.

Tiarna Chambers-Desmond was the top scorer for the Red side with 12 points. Sharliyah Sutherland of Barking Abbey posted a handy 11 points for Gaynor’s team while Isey Frost scored 10 points.

With just over two minutes left in the third quarter, Team Black built a 10 point lead to give themselves a bit of a cushion. However, it didn’t take Team Red too long to cut deficit down to six once with just over a minute left in the third.

Isey Frost made a layup with time expiring in the third quarter to put Team Red within four points of Team Black entering the final period.

With a score of 61-57, the game was very much in the balance heading into the fourth however the deficit proved to be too much to overcome as Team Black were able to come away as five point victors.

Halftime entertainment was provided by All Star Classic alumnus Saruna Rayi who sang for the energetic Crystal Palace crowd.

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Frost delivered an impressive shooting display with a final round score of 15. Her performance proved to be too good for fellow finalist Emilis Zibuda, who managed a score of nine in the final.

Both finalists shot the ball well in the first round to advance to the final, with Frost posting a score of 14 while Zibuda wasn’t far behind on a score of 13.

Jahveina Whyte, Anna Idiata Mendez, Alex Vourliotis and Sean Mackey also participated in this year’s contest.

Full results:

First round: Jahveina Whyte 11, Anna Idiata Mendez 8, Bo Frost 14, Emilis Zibuda 13, Alex Vourliotis 8, Sean Mackey 10

Final round: Emilis Zibuda 9, Bo Frost 15

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Kelvin Clement and Andrew Nwokolo are joined by the returning Obinna Ekufu, who is also a late addition to the Under-19 Men’s game.

Each participant will have two scoring dunks in the first round with the top two going through to the final, where they will have two more dunks to add to a cumulative score to determine the winner.

In the 2025 edition, Amarlie Wilkinson rose high to capture the crown and add his name to the list of Dunk Contest champions in the event’s history.

The Dunk Contest will be live streamed with the contest scheduled to take place around 3:30pm:

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Bo Frost, Anna Idiata Mendez and Jahveina Whyte will represent the Under-19 Women, with Sean Mackey, Alex Vourliotis and Emilis Zibuda taking part from the Under-19 Men in the mixed-gender event.

Back for a seventh edition, the format consists of each contestant having one minute on the clock in the first round with six points available in each of the five racks – the fifth (money) ball worth double points.

The top two highest-scoring players will advance to the final round to determine the champion.

Last year saw Nojus Zajankauskas add his name to the list of winners after beating Ethan Round in the final.

Previous winners

2025: Nojus Zajankauskas
2024: Grace Strickland
2023: William Issekya
2022: Quinn Ellis
2021: Alex Distras
2019: Rhys Sundimalt

The 3-Point Shootout will be live streamed with the contest scheduled to take place around 1pm:

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You can watch all the action unfold from the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.

3-Point Shootout (1pm)

Under-19 Women’s Game (1:30pm)

Rosters
Live stats

Dunk Contest (3:30pm)

Under-19 Men’s Game (4pm)

Rosters
Live stats

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Basketball England announced Ward will succeed interim CEO Nigel Walker, whom she will also replace on the newly formed Great Britain Interim Delivery Group.

Ward becomes Basketball England’s first female CEO and joins the national governing body after more than a decade in senior leadership roles across sport, charities and membership organisations.

She was CEO of Welsh Gymnastics from 2023 to 2025, having previously led the Welsh Sports Association from 2014 to 2022.

Her background includes building financially resilient organisations through partnerships, income diversification, and strategic collaboration across government, business and civil society.

Ward has also worked across the financial and funding sector, including leading the host nation commercial programme for the 2010 Ryder Cup and working on Coca-Cola’s community programme for Wales and the West.

“I am delighted to be joining Basketball England at such a defining moment for the sport,” Ward said.

“Basketball is one of the most dynamic and fast-growing sports in the country, with an incredible ability to inspire communities, excite new and existing fans and develop world-class talent.

“I have spent my career working across sport, both in and alongside national governing bodies, helping organisations strengthen their foundations, grow sustainably and deliver real impact for their members.

“I am looking forward to bringing that experience to basketball and working with the wider game to accelerate growth, build commercial resilience, and strengthen talent pathways.

“Collectively, we can capture imaginations, maximise participation and build a modern, ambitious future for the game that reflects the passion and talent in this country and ensures basketball thrives at every level, from grassroots through to the elite game.”

Ward said the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer and the continued growth of 3×3 basketball created “a huge opportunity” to build on momentum across the men’s and women’s game in the UK.

She added: “What excites me most is the opportunity to listen to and work alongside the basketball community — clubs, leagues, volunteers, players and partners — to shape a shared vision for the future.

“Together, we can unlock the full potential of basketball from local playgrounds through to the international stage and establish the UK as a leading force in basketball both on and off the court for years to come.”

Basketball England chair Paul Blanchard welcomed Ward’s appointment and said her experience would be important as the sport works towards a new governance approach across Great Britain.

“We are pleased to welcome Victoria as our new CEO as we look to build on the tremendous popularity and momentum for basketball in this country,” Blanchard said.

“We believe her experience in sports bodies and funding organisations and her open, collaborative approach, will serve her well as we, alongside our partners, build towards a new approach to the governance of the game across Great Britain.

“Victoria will play an integral role in that process and equally importantly will drive Basketball England forward as we serve the needs and demands of our members, clubs and organisations and deliver on the objectives set out for our sport in our new strategy for the game in England.

“I also want to take this opportunity to thank Nigel for his leadership and unwavering commitment during his tenure.”

Patricia Fairclough OBE, Interim Chair of the Basketball England Regions Council, said Ward had “the leadership qualities to make a difference in growing our sport”.

Fairclough added: “Her knowledge and experience in managing membership organisations and delivering commercially will serve Basketball England well and create the conditions to strengthen our infrastructure, improve performance and enhance working relationships thorough collaboration.”

Fairclough added: “On behalf of the Regional Management Committees Council, I congratulate Victoria on breaking through the glass ceiling to become BE’s first female CEO.

“It represents an important milestone and, as a lifelong advocate for women and girls in all roles in our sport, I believe it is one that should be celebrated.”

Ward was appointed following a recruitment process led by independent agency GatenbySanderson, which included expert input from an experienced group of basketball stakeholders.

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The teams will meet at Co-op Live on Sunday 17 January 2027, three days after facing each other at the Accor Arena in Paris on Thursday 14 January.

The NBA announced the two-game European slate on Wednesday, with the fixtures forming part of the league’s multiyear commitment to staging regular-season games across Europe.

The Manchester game will be the 20th game featuring an NBA team in England since 1993, the second NBA game in Manchester, and the first regular-season game to be played in the city.

Paris will stage its sixth NBA regular-season game, and the 16th game featuring an NBA team in France since 1991.

“Playing games in Paris and Manchester reflects the strong momentum we’re seeing for basketball and the NBA in France, the UK and across Europe,” NBA Managing Director, Europe and Middle East George Aivazoglou said.

“As interest in the game continues to grow across the continent, we look forward to working with the Pelicans, the Spurs and our partners to deliver unique experiences for fans, aspiring players and the local communities.”

The Spurs are set to bring one of the league’s most prominent international stars to the UK, with Victor Wembanyama currently part of a roster that also includes De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper.

San Antonio will be playing their 10th and 11th games in Europe, sixth in France, and first in England.

“It’s an incredible honor to make our return to France and play our first-ever game in England, given the strong embrace we’ve felt from the community and fans across Europe,” Spurs CEO RC Buford said.

“Bringing world-class basketball, community impact engagements and compelling fan activations to a European market, alongside the league, aligns directly with our organisation’s vision to unite our global audience through unforgettable experiences and a shared love of sports.”

New Orleans, who currently feature Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Jeremiah Fears, and Derik Queen, will be playing their third and fourth games in Europe and first in both France and England.

Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars said the games were “an incredible opportunity” for the franchise to represent New Orleans internationally.

“These games provide a unique platform to showcase our team, our culture and our community to global audiences while building meaningful relationships with fans, partners and communities abroad,” Dumars said.

Alongside the games, the NBA, Spurs, and Pelicans will run NBA Cares social impact programming, Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA and Her Time to Play youth clinics, coach and referee development sessions, and fan activities in Paris and Manchester.

Both games will air live across Europe and globally, reaching fans in more than 200 countries and territories across television, digital media and social media.

Ticket sales and further details about the games and surrounding events will be announced at a later date. Fans can register their interest and enter a chance to win free tickets at NBA.com/Paris and NBA.com/Manchester.

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Kyla Nelson and Chloe Gaynor will go head-to-head on the sidelines in the Under-19 Women’s game, while Danny Hildreth and Lewis Scott take charge of the Under-19 Men’s rosters.

It’s a clash between the two youngest playcallers in the SLBW with Nelson leading Team Black, while Gaynor has control of Team White.

Nelson helped lead London Lions to the playoffs in her first season as head coach, and represented England and GB at all junior age groups, whilst impressing as a teenager in the WBBL at Brixton Topcats and Oaklands Wolves.

Meanwhile, Gaynor was named Coach of the Year in her debut 2024-25 campaign with Newcastle Eagles, and was Finals MVP in the WEABL as part of Barking Abbey’s championship in 2016. The forward still made some appearances on the court this season and is among the all-time top 20 rebounders in WBBL/SLB history.

Hildreth has a long association with Sussex Storm since joining the junior programme in 2016, and earned coaching honours in the CBL and NBL’s Division 2 this season. A former BBL player at Brighton Bears and Worthing Thunder predominantly, Hildreth is also father to Cam Hildreth, who played in the Classic in 2019.

On the other side of the court, Scott helped lead Myerscough College to another EABL title this season as head coach having stepped up from his role as assistant in previous years. Scott has been with the programme for several years and also heads up the senior team in NBL Division 1.

Hildreth will lead Team Black and Scott has the reins of Team White.

Each coach was able to select an assistant for the game with Nelson choosing Jamila Thompson; Gaynor opting for Charlotte Redhead; Hildreth taking Rhys Davies and Scott being accompanied by Mike Bernard.

Tickets for the event can still be purchased, here.

U19 men’s rosters can be found, HERE.
U19 women’s rosters can be found, HERE.

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