WNBL1 recap: 5/6 April 2025 - live streams, stats and more

Eight has become four, with the first round of the D1W playoffs now completed.

All of the top seeds, CoLA, Ipswich, Brent and Anglia Ruskin, came through the weekend unscathed, setting the scene for a pair of much-anticipated semi-final clashes.

We take a look back at all the weekend's match-ups below, with links to live stats at the bottom of the page. 

#1 CoLA Southwark Pride 71-45 #8 Worcester Wolves

Regular-season champs CoLA Southwark Pride had no problems against #8 seeds Worcester Wolves, easing to a 71-45 victory.

Making it 3/3 for the season against the West Midlands outfit, Pride used a 24-10 second frame to put some space into the score line, increasing their advantage the longer the game wore on.

The hosts controlled the glass, winning that battle 68-41 thanks in part to an impressive 10-point, 15-rebound effort off the bench from Rachel Madu.

Ayla Habbal (13pts, 8reb, 6ast) and Adaora Dioramma (11pts, 6reb) also contributed in that department, with 14 second chance points coming CoLA's way as a result.

Held to just 25% shooting, Worcester had a tough day at the office, as Carolina Marques (14pts, 5reb) and Kacey Cox (10pts, 8reb) were the only players for the visitors to make it to double digit scoring.

Still, making their first ever post-season trip was a great way to end the season for the former D2W side, and Worcester have plenty to build on going forward despite the result.

CoLA move on to face Anglia Ruskin, a side they've beaten in both their meetings so far this season.

#2 Endeavour Ipswich Basketball 75-59 #7 Loughborough Riders

Endeavour Ipswich Basketball are also safely through to the next round, beating Loughborough Riders 75-59.

Hannah Gray hit 5/7 from down town to power a 31-point afternoon, ensuring it wouldn't be third time lucky for the Riders after they lost both games against Ipswich in the regular season.

Louisa Gibbins (11pts, 14reb, 7ast, 4blk, 4stl) stuffed the stat sheet in support, leaving regular season top scorer Harriet Welham (10pts, 9reb) to a much quieter afternoon compared to her regular heights.

Slipping to a 25-14 opening quarter, the Riders were always up against it, and despite getting their deficit down to five in the third and six in the fourth, they were never able to reel the hosts in.

Rose Bryan (16pts) top scored for the visitors, with Melissa Leet (12pts, 13reb) also playing well in support.

#3 Brent Bulls 60-35 #6 Manchester Mystics

Brent put together a top-tier defensive performance to limit Manchester and come through as 60-35 winners.

Shooting just 23% across the game, the Mystics' offence went missing at the worst possible time, and six points in the second and five in the fourth left the North West side with far too much work to do across the other 20 minutes.

Eleanor Bishop (14pts), Lindsey Cleary (13pts, 13reb) and Kenisha Whyte (10pts, 4reb) all recorded valuable contributions in the low-scoring win, pushing the Bulls into the final fours in the process.

It's the end of the road for Manchester's youthful side, with Elizandra Costa (12pts) their top scorer.

#4 Anglia Ruskin University 82-54 #5 Bristol Academy Flyers

Anglia Ruskin made it four out of four, ensuring all the top seeds progressed as they beat Bristol Academy Flyers 82-54.

Bristol had high hopes going into the #4 vs #5 matchup, but 25 points from ARU's Vicky Gray and 21 more from Tia Freeman were too much to overcome for the Flyers.

Freeman also added six assists, five steals and five rebounds to her outing, with Izabelle Booth (13pts, 7reb) also playing well.

An 18-9 first quarter made for an uphill struggle for the visitors, but they did battle back to trail by just four points a minute into the third.

ARU would ultimately take the that quarter 21-8, however, and a 20-12 final frame put a one-sided slant on the eventual final score.

Leila Jepson (19pts, 4reb) and Samantha Roscoe (15pts, 9reb) were the leaders for Bristol, but it's Ruskin who now progress for a date with top seeds CoLA.

Anglia Ruskin's Vicky Gray (Flo Alalade)

This weekend's results:

Saturday 5 April

3:45pm - Anglia Ruskin University 82-54 Bristol Academy Flyers - LIVE STATS

Sunday 6 April

1:30pm - Endeavour Ipswich Basketball 75-59 Loughborough Riders - LIVE STATS

3pm - Brent Bulls 60-35 Manchester Mystics - LIVE STATS

4:30pm - CoLA Southwark Pride 71-45 Worcester Wolves - LIVE STATS

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