Ipswich Prepare to Defend National Championship

Endeavour Ipswich Basketball Club’s U18 Women are preparing to defend their national title as they head into the Final Four for the fourth consecutive season, continuing a period of dominance that has elevated the Ipswich pathway into one of the most successful performance environments in British basketball. The team, operating in partnership with Copleston Basketball Academy, enters the final stages as reigning 2024/25 National Champions, adding to a remarkable run that also includes 2023/24 3rd place, 2022/23 National Champions, and 2021/22 Runners Up. With two titles, a runners‑up finish, and a third‑place result across four seasons, Ipswich enter this year’s Final Four with both pedigree and momentum.

This success at junior level is matched by the academy’s achievements on the national stage. Copleston have appeared in the last three consecutive WEABL Finals, finishing runners‑up in 2024 and 2026, and being crowned WEABL Champions in 2025—a run that further demonstrates the strength and consistency of the pathway.

In the same period, Ipswich have also enjoyed unprecedented success at senior level. The club has won WNBL Division One three times, lifted the Senior National Cup twice, and claimed the Playoff Championship once, while also finishing runners‑up in both 2024 and 2025. This alignment of junior, academy, and senior success highlights a programme operating at the highest level across every tier of the women’s game.

The pathway is led by Head Coach and Director of Basketball Nick Drane, who oversees the academy team in the WEABL and works closely with many of the club’s top junior prospects through the Ipswich Senior Women’s programme. His leadership provides the structure, identity, and long‑term development model that underpin the club’s success. The U18 Women themselves are coached by Ipswich Club Captain and National League Legend Harriet Welham, whose experience, competitive pedigree, and on‑court insight have been instrumental in guiding the group through another deep postseason run. Together, Drane and Welham form a coaching partnership that blends high‑performance standards with player‑centred leadership, ensuring athletes are prepared for the demands of elite competition.

Ipswich’s league success is matched by an extraordinary record in the National Cup, where the U18 Women have been a constant presence in the latter stages. Their recent achievements include 2026 Winners, 2025 Runners Up, 2024 Semi Final, 2023 Winners, 2022 Runners Up, and 2020 Winners—a six‑year span featuring three national titles, two finals, and a semi‑final appearance.

As the team prepares to defend its national championship, the club credits its success to a unified structure built on player development, coaching continuity, and a shared culture of ambition that runs from the junior age groups through to the senior programme, via an academy partnership with Copleston High School that allows student athletes to combine a daily basketball development programme with a first-class academic offer. The alignment between daily academy training, club competition, and senior‑level opportunities ensures that players are consistently challenged, supported, and prepared for the highest levels of youth basketball.

With four straight Final Four appearances, multiple national championships, a dominant National Cup résumé, three consecutive WEABL Finals, and sustained senior‑level success, Ipswich enter this year’s final stages with confidence, experience, and a clear identity. As they prepare to defend their title, the U18 Women continue to inspire the next generation of players and strengthen the future of Endeavour Ipswich Basketball Club.

Ipswich will face Nottingham Wildcats in the semi-final on Saturday the 2nd May, with the winner of that game facing the team that comes out on top of the matchup between Wolverhampton Slam and long-time rivals City of London Academy, the club that have done battle with Ipswich in no less than twelve national finals in the last five years. The final will be on Sunday 3rd May.