Written by Maria Thompson
📸 - @NSL
After an exciting opening to the NSL season, Round 2 delivered two Friday night games, a Saturday afternoon clash, and a Sunday finale, giving fans the opportunity to spend most of the weekend watching their favorite teams.
Friday Night: Dragons vs. London Pulse
The opening game of Friday night provided a thrilling clash between Dragons and the traveling London Pulse. With Dragons finishing at the bottom of the 2025 season, fans expected a runaway game for Pulse—or so they thought. Dragons started strong, creating an early gap, but as the Super Shot period began, Pulse sank several 2-pointers to end Q1 with a 5-point lead.
Q2 was fiercely contested across all areas of the court, leaving the score at 28–23 to Pulse at the half. The defensive duo of Newton and Middleton for Dragons began to prove they are a force to be reckoned with. As the third quarter progressed, Pulse cranked up the pressure, forcing Dragons into errors and capitalizing to stretch the lead to 9 heading into the final frame.
The question was whether Dragons would slip away or regroup. Five minutes into the last quarter, the gap hit 10 points. However, Dragons fought back, closing the deficit to 7 (50–43) with five minutes remaining. In a frantic final Super Shot period, the Welsh side intercepted key passes to go on a scoring run, bringing the final score to 51–50. It was an agonizing finish for Pulse, but an impressive statement from Dragons. For her relentless defensive pressure, Jacqui Newton was named Player of the Match.
Friday Night: Leeds Rhinos vs. Loughborough Lightning
In the second Friday fixture, Loughborough Lightning traveled north to face Leeds Rhinos. A clinical start from both attacking ends resulted in a 17–17 deadlock after the first quarter. As the second quarter progressed, Leeds kept pace until the Super Shot period, where Sammy Wallace-Joseph began scoring 2-pointers for fun. Combined with stifling defensive pressure, Lightning surged to a 37–24 lead at halftime.
In the second half, Lightning impressed fans with their ability to transition the ball effortlessly from defense to attack, causing the Rhinos' structure to crumble under pressure. The game ended with a commanding 27-point victory for Loughborough, 70–43. For her masterclass in the circle, Sammy Wallace-Joseph earned Player of the Match.
Saturday: Manchester Thunder vs. London Mavericks
Game 3 saw Manchester Thunder host London Mavericks, with both teams hunting for their first win of the season. Thunder came out firing, proving their combinations were clicking. Caldwell, Fawn, Pearson, and A. Carter showed a fabulous work rate to take an 19–11 lead into Q2.
While Manchester showed significantly more promise than in Round 1, Mavericks began "grinding the gears" in the second quarter, finishing the period only one goal behind Thunder's quarter score. At halftime, it was 35–25. Mavericks caused some doubt in the Thunder camp during Q3, but the Manchester side eventually found their groove, increasing the lead to 18. Despite the deficit, Mavericks piled on the pressure in the final quarter to reduce the gap to 10. The final score stood at 69–59, meaning the London side narrowly missed out on a losing bonus point. Eleanor Caldwell was awarded Player of the Match for a stunning display in attack.
Sunday: Nottingham Forest vs. Birmingham Panthers
The final game featured Forest and Panthers, two sides that proved they could challenge the top four last season. Forest started strong, establishing great on-court connections to lead 17–13 at the end of Q1. Streutker and Williams looked dangerous, but the Birmingham side responded in the second quarter. With several interceptions and fluid through-court movement, Panthers overturned the deficit to lead 30–25 at the half.
Forest settled back into their rhythm in the third, increasing the intensity to reclaim the lead 49–45. In a tense final quarter, Panthers found an extra gear through Betsy Creak’s movement in the circle, bringing the gap to just 3 points heading into the final Super Shot period. However, Forest’s GS/GA combo remained clinical, pulling away to a 68–58 victory. Despite the Forest win, Betsy Creak was named Player of the Match for her standout individual performance.
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