Leicester Riders won the WBBL Cup for the first time when they beat Sevenoaks Suns 78-67 in the final in Manchester.
Kate Oliver had 18 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Riders’ effort and was named the most valuable player.
Hannah Robb and Holly Winterburn added 17 and 16 points for them respectively.
Holders Sevenoaks, who made a slow start, were in contention until late in the game and their Great Britain international Janice Monakana scored 25 points, a cup final record.
The Suns had forfeited their place in the final when it was moved from Birmingham to Worcester and then to Leicester last month, citing coronavirus concerns.
They were reinstated when that final was postponed but, playing their first game since mid-December, they made a slow start, falling 21-4 behind after five and a half minutes as Oliver scored her first 10 points.
Sevenoaks’ recovery, sparked by a trio of three-pointers from Monakana, brought them to within four points at half-time.
Leicester drew away in the third quarter when Oliver hit six points and new GB cap Robb chipped in with seven to give them a 60-46 lead.
Sevenoaks still had a response and trailed by just seven points with 5:54 remaining. A three from Christina Gaskin and two from Winterburn gave the Riders the cushion they needed to take the title.
“Everyone who stepped on the floor made a difference. It was a full team effort,” said Oliver afterwards. “We’ve put an emphasis on how lucky we are to be able to do what we do when the rest of the country can’t even leave their homes.”
The two teams are expected to be in the mix for the remaining titles this season, having won seven of the last eight WBBL trophies between them.
