The London Lions, the premier basketball club in the UK, are set to make history as the first-ever UK side to compete in the EuroLeague Women Qualifiers. The London side will face DVTK HUN-Therm on Wednesday 20 September at the Copper Box Arena before heading to Hungary on 27 September as they look to qualify for the most prestigious basketball competition in Europe. Highlighting the growth of women’s basketball in the UK, Caledonia Gladiators will also compete in the EuroCup this season, marking the first-ever time two British sides have competed in European competitions.

The Lions have assembled a star-studded roster ready to compete both domestically and in Europe, bolstered by the signings of WNBA-star Megan Gustafson, Abby Meyers and former DVTK player Cheridene Green in the off-season. They join a side who broke history last season, boasting a 52-game unbeaten streak and achieving a clean sweep of all WBBL domestic honours, including the League, Cup, Trophy, and Playoffs. Their opposition for the qualifiers, Hungarian side DVTK HUN-Therm will represent a difficult barrier to pass as the side competed in EuroLeague Women last season, boasting a respectable 8-8 record in the group stage.

If the Lions are to qualify for the EuroLeague, it will mark a significant moment for women’s British basketball, showing that sides from the WBBL can compete alongside Europe’s elite. The Head Coach of the London Lions, Stella Kaltsidou, will lead her team towards winning the qualifiers and achieving historic success. This notable moment is set to accelerate the rising popularity and interest of women’s basketball and sports across the UK, with record crowds already having descended upon the Lions’ home venue of the Copper Box Arena last season.

Vanja Cernivec, General Manager of the London Lions women’s team comments:

“This is a significant milestone for the organisation and for the development of British basketball. We are very proud to be in this position and while we recognise it’s a big leap from previous years, we feel ready and excited for the next chapter. DVTK are known for having a long basketball heritage and incredible fan support, so we don’t take the qualifiers lightly but hopefully starting this October, British fans will get to see some of the best women’s basketball in the world.”