The B.Braun Sheffield Hatters face Manchester Basketball tomorrow evening, and will be looking for a reaction following last weeks loss against the Caledonia Gladiators.

The Hatters currently sit second in the championship, and will be keen for a victory to close in on top spot.

Sheffield Wire Reporter Max Carson spoke to head coach Vanessa Ellis and star player Megan Mullins, who were adamant about the side’s desire for victory.

Ms Ellis said: “In our league we have to come out and play 40 minutes to win, it’s just about trying to improve.”

The Hatter’s were last year’s play off champions, defeating Oakland Wolves at London’s 02 arena in May.

Despite the Hatter’s success, Ms Ellis has been vocal about the struggle women’s basketball faces, calling out issues in infrastructure and funding.

After Covid, the Hatters had to sit out an entire season due to lack of financial support.

Despite the off-court struggles, she said: “We just have to do our bit, and ignore what’s happening when we’re on the court.”

The Hatter’s have a proud history, they were the first women’s basketball team to be established in the country, and are making significant efforts to maintain their dominance of the sport.

This year the team have six new arrivals, including power forward Megan (Mo) Mullins, who averaged 16.3 points for the Launceston Tornadoes in Australia last year.

Ms Ellis spoke more on her contribution to the team:

Ms Mullins said she’d found the new league “fun really aggressive and really physical.”

She has basketball experience across the globe but said she appreciated the lack of language barrier in Sheffield although “the accent is a little bit thick.”

Both Ms Ellis and Ms Mullins spoke on the importance of team chemistry, especially with a continually changing team.

Ms Mullins said: “It’s not always going to gel, most important is that there’s trust with each other, respect with each other and we do what’s best for the team.”

Manchester Basketball will prove no easy opponent on Saturday evening.

The side’s star player Georgia Anderson recently became the leagues all time top scorer, with 2435 points over the last decade, and she will be keen to add to her tally.

Ms Mullins said: “No game is easy, but nobody beats us, we only beat ourselves.”

The tip off is at 7:00 pm on Saturday, at the Canon Medical Arena.

Picture Credit – Sheffield Hatters Basketball Club