WNBL1 Preview: Week 22 (12/13 March 2022) - live streams, stats and more

CoLA can claim the 2021/22 D1W regular season title this weekend as they take on Bristol and Thames Valley.

A win in either game will be enough for the London side to seal their first top flight title since 2015/16, taking the #1 seed for the post season in the process.

With 10 games across the weekend, including an exciting tie for the NBL Live cameras between Reading and Ipswich, there's plenty at stake across the standings.

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

Bristol Flyers (9-11) v CoLA Southwark Pride (17-1)

With four games to go, one more win will be enough for CoLA Southwark Pride to take the D1W league title.

That includes tomorrow's tie away to Bristol, though no doubt the Flyers would love to spoil the party and increase their prospects of a higher playoff seed in the process.

Having done the double over Ipswich as well as claiming a win over Thames Valley, this Flyers team can match any team in the division on their day. 

Leila Jepson (10.1PPG) and Emma Bailey (10.0PPG) both lead West country side on offence, with Bailey currently leading D1W with a 38.8 3PT%.

When these sides last met, CoLA pulled off a 53-45 victory thanks to a 12 point, 16 rebound double-double from Player of the Year candidate Isi Ozzy-Momodu.

CoLA still own the league's best defence (50.8 PPG allowed) and Bristol rank third lowest for offence (57.8PPG), so points could be a premium in this one.

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Elsewhere this weekend

The weekend begins with relegation candidates Reading Rockets (4-13) trying their all to pick up a fifth win of the season as they host Cardiff Met Archers II (8-9).

Thames Valley Cavaliers (13-4) are continuing their march towards second spot, that continues with an away day against Team Solent Kestrels (9-8), a team they beat 82-74 when they met in Uxbridge last December.

London Lions II (5-14) are one of the form teams in the division as they look to mount an escape from the D1W trapdoor. 4-1 across their last five, they take a trip to Anglia Ruskin University (10-6) tomorrow.

Like Thames Valley, Loughborough Riders (13-4) remain in the mix for second place, though technically their title challenge isn't over. They travel to bottom side Nottingham Trent University (1-17) as they keep pushing CoLA for as long as possible.

The last game on Saturday sees Worcester Wolves (5-12) entertaining Ipswich (11-6). 

The Suffolk side are currently a D1W second best for offence, scoring 73.5PPG. Couple that with a match up against the league's leakiest defence (72.5PPG allowed), and that should lead to good things for coach Drane's side this weekend.

Moving into Sunday, Anglia Ruskin play their second team from the bottom four in as many days as they take a trip to Nottingham.

Reading have another shot at a valuable win but they'll be up against it with Ipswich coming to town, and the NBL Live cameras will be at Rivermead to catch all the action.

There's also a much anticipated battle between the top two as CoLA head to Thames Valley, though the London outfit will no doubt hope the D1W regular season title is already in the bag before this one tips.

The weekend closes with a tie between two familiar foes as Cardiff play host to Worcester, with those two teams being promoted to D1W together following the 2019/20 season.

This weekend's fixtures:

Saturday 12 March

2:45pm - Reading Rockets v Cardiff Met Archers II - LIVE STATS

3:30pm - Team Solent Kestrels v Thames Valley Cavaliers - LIVE STATS

4pm - Anglia Ruskin University v London Lions II - LIVE STATS

5pm - Bristol Flyers v CoLA Southwark Pride - LIVE STATS

7pm - Nottingham Trent University v Loughborough Riders - LIVE STATS

7:30pm - Worcester Wolves v Ipswich - LIVE STATS

Sunday 13 March

12pm - Nottingham Trent University v Anglia Ruskin University - LIVE STATS

2:30pm - Reading Rockets v Ipswich - LIVE STATS/LIVE STREAM

3pm - Thames Valley Cavaliers v CoLA Southwark Pride - LIVE STATS/LIVE STREAM

3:15pm - Cardiff Met Archers II v Worcester Wolves - LIVE STATS

Main image credit - Luke Simcock