WNBL1 Preview: Week 18 (27/28 February 2021) - live streams, stats and more

With four games scheduled for this weekend, there's plenty for WNBL fans to enjoy as 2021 continues to gain momentum.

As more and more teams begin to work through their fixtures, week 18 is the busiest since the turn of the new year with four games on offer.

Leaders Ipswich face a trip to Thames Valley, Reading host Worcester, and there's a contest between Solent and BA London Lions II on the South coast.

The weekend wraps on Saturday evening as CoLA Southwark Pride play their first game of 2021 against Loughborough.

We take a look at all those games below, with links to live stats and live streams at the bottom of the page.

Reading Rockets (2-4) v Worcester Wolves (4-3)

There's plenty of interest in Worcester's trip to Reading tomorrow, with both teams needing to bounce back from losses last time out.

Reading came out second best to leaders Ipswich two weeks ago, losing 88-60 after a costly 30-9 deficit following the opening period.

Worcester were well placed before the mid-season break but their first game of 2021 didn't go to plan, going down 59-52 on the road in Thames Valley.

If that defeat could be attributed to rust remains to be seen, but the Wolves still enjoy top four spot that they'd like to hold on to in their first season of D1W action.

Worcester's Carolina Marques is ninth in the league for efficiency, and Reading's Sitota Gines Espinosa remains top of the WNBL steal charts. Both should be heavily involved tomorrow.​

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Elsewhere this weekend

The action continues on Saturday with Team Solent Kestrels (4-3) hosting BA London Lions II (0-6).

The Lions are still looking for an elusive first win of the season, but that might prove difficult to find against a Kestrels side that hasn't lost at home since the end of October.

Top side Ipswich (8-1) head to in-form Thames Valley Cavaliers (2-2) tomorrow as the Cavs have now won two in a row.

TVC captain Katherine Goldsby enjoyed a 24 point, 19 rebound double-double last weekend, her contest with current Player of the Week Harriet Welham should be well worth watching.

Saturday ends with Loughborough Riders (6-3) entertaining CoLA Southwark Pride (2-2).

Loughborough were short-handed in their most recent loss to Solent, so the Riders will be hoping for a potential return from Erin Hikin, Molly James and Makana Stone.

Pride will be ​facing the "rust vs rest" debate, having not played since November, but generally teams have found it tricky to get up to speed after such a long layoff.

This weekend's fixtures:

Saturday 27 February

1pm - Reading Rockets v Worcester Wolves - LIVE STATS/LIVE STREAM
2pm - Team Solent Kestrels v BA London Lions II - LIVE STATS/LIVE STREAM
3pm - Thames Valley Cavaliers v Ipswich - LIVE STATS/LIVE STREAM
5pm - Loughborough Riders v CoLA Southwark Pride - LIVE STATS/LIVE STREAM

Main image credit - Todd Lindley