Welly’s Cool Spot will soon storm the court for more glory.
Cayman’s reigning women’s champions are expected to be among the competing teams in the upcoming 2014 National Women’s League, put on by the Cayman Islands Basketball Association. Games are slated to take place on Thursdays starting from this Thursday, Jan. 23. The season will run about three months and wrap up on May 1.
Last year, Welly’s won their first-ever championship by beating the Wolves in three games in their best-of-three series. The star performers for the Cool Spot were league Most Valuable Player Chloe Powery, Most Improved Player Khailan O’Connor and Finals MVP Hannah Parchment.
The Cool Spot figure to be heavy favorites to repeat. Their young core of players – such as Guiesha Smith and Ashley Jacaban – remain in the fold and there is enough athleticism at the disposal of head coach Redver Ebanks and assistant Billy Fenton to make up for the loss of Parchment and April Ebanks; both of whom are now attending Walsingham Academy in Williamsburg, Virginia. The girls also benefitted from trips to Florida training camps last summer as part of the Women of Valor club.
The Wolves should be Welly’s main rival once again behind star players like Carmen Picate. Island Heritage Silver Mist were a completely new team that used last season to gel and it remains to be seen if Scimone Campbell can lead her side to success. The real mystery will be the Home Gas Flames and Dominos Lady Heels. After two straight national titles under Wendy Manzanares, the Flames turned into fumes as Alessandra Hawkins and company struggled to be competitive without La-Torae Nixon. Dominos took a one-year hiatus under head coach Collin Anglin and should return with a rejuvenated squad.
In addition to the ladies, youth hoops resumes with the 2014 KPMG Inter-School Under-14 Basketball League. The competition, which is split into boys and girls divisions, is heading into its third year after starting in 2012. Last season, 12 squads competed representing local middle schools such as John Gray High School, Triple C and Clifton Hunter High School.
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