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6 February 2026  5 min read

W/EABL Players of the Week (4 Feb 2026)

You can have your say on this week’s selections and give a shout-out to the players you think deserve one on the Academy League channels.

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How it works

Each week, a standout player plus four other worthy selections will be put forward to make the Player and Team Of The Week in both the EABL and WEABL, paying attention to the following criteria:

• Efficiency
• Stats
• Team and opposition strength
• Periods of influence in the game
• Being on a winning team (exceptional performances from players on losing teams will be considered for TOTW)

Players of the Week

A pair of productive performances in the Midlands seal the latest batch of POTW awards, with Derby's Elias Norman picking up his first award of the season and Nottingham's Tiarna Chambers-Desmond coming back for more in the WEABL.

Norman's 30-point outing helped Derby secure a post-season spot at SGS' expense, locking up the fourth seed in the North following a strong 37 efficiency outing.

His points haul along with ten rebounds were both game-highs, with only team mate Jarom Howlett able to top Norman's six assists across either side. It was a great performance at a key point of the season, making the Derby man a logical pick for this week's award.

Speaking after the game, Norman said: "It was great to execute in a high-pressure game and to secure our playoffs spot.

"I thought I had a strong individual performance but more importantly the team stayed together the whole game and played hard on both ends of the floor. We prepared well and push each other to get better in every practice and the work is paying off.

"Everyone is ready to cause a big upset and make a big playoff push.

Derby head coach Jake Chapman added: "Elias had a great game against SGS and helped us secure the number four seed.

I'm really pleased to see his hard work rewarded, he was due a big game and he delivered."

In the WEABL, Tiarna Chambers-Desmond continued her rich vein of form to help the Wildcats see off MK5D 88-55 to keep their unbeaten quest for the North title on track.

Knocking down 18 points on 52 shooting (9/17FGs), the Wildcats' star was a menace at both ends of the court as she collected 12 rebounds and nabbed a game-high seven steals as part of her standout performance.

"I am grateful to have received WEABL Player of the Week award once again, it truly does show that if you put in the work you will get the results," said Chambers-Desmond.

"By showing up everyday, bringing energy, pushing my teammates and trusting in my ability, I gain the confidence to play within my full capacity and that in turn showed up in our game against Milton Keynes."

Nottingham head coach Siobhán Prior added: "In a game where Milton Keynes made us work for every score and every stop, Tiarna was a constant energy giver, communicator and leader.

"It was by far the best display of leadership we have seen from her all year and our team really needed it."

EABL Team of the Week

Elias Norman - Derby Trailblazers (30pts, 10reb, 6ast, 37eff)

Tom Richardson - Manchester Magic (25pts, 3reb, 4ast, 3stl, 30eff, 7/10 3PTs)

Olivier Esingle - Myerscough College (18pts, 7reb, 5ast, 2stl, 3blk, 24eff)

Ethan Round - Itchen College (17pts, 4reb, 5ast, 3stl, 18eff)

Andrew Nwokolo - City of London Academy - Southwark (15pts, 10reb, 3ast, 17eff)

POTW Norman is joined by Manchester sharp-shooter Tom Richardson after he drained 7/10 attempts from long range this week.

Olivier Esingle ensured that Myerscough would be pushing Magic all the way to the end of the regular season for the North Conference title with a stat-stuffing performance at both end of the court, and Ethan Round was the main man in Itchen's important win in their South Conference battle against Barking.

That just leaves Andrew Nwokolo to round out the five, earning a place after a double-double performance that keeps CoLA's unbeaten season intact for another week.

Honourable mentions

Joshua Mendes - Barking Abbey (21pts, 13reb, 2blk, 21eff)
Kevin Ramirez Mora - SGS College (11pts, 9reb, 3ast, 3blk, 26eff)
Demi Babalola - Manchester Magic (13pts, 7reb, 5ast, 8stl, 21eff)
Zavier Gleadell-Smith - Charnwood College Riders (12pts, 13reb, 2stl, 16eff)
Raffy Connolly - Barking Abbey (14pts, 8reb, 3stl, 15eff)

WEABL Team of the Week

Tiarna Chambers-Desmond - Nottingham Academy Wildcats (18pts, 12reb, 3ast, 7stl, 2blk, 32eff)

Kamilah Yakubu - Barking Abbey (19pts, 4reb, 3ast, 5stl, 21eff)

Jess Jolley - Barking Abbey (19pts, 6reb, 5ast, 5stl, 19eff, 5/11 3PTs)

Isabelle Delmedo - The Sheffield College (26pts, 13reb, 2stl, 2blk, 31eff)

Mateya Georgieva - Nottingham Academy Wildcats (18pts, 5reb, 6ast, 5stl, 25eff)

There's a pair of double ups in this week's WEABL side, starting with Nottingham guard Mateya Georgieva joining POTW Tiarna Chambers-Desmond in the line up thanks to her solid outing against MK5D.

Kamilah Yakubu and Jess Jolley both make the grade after the duo combined to help Barking down Itchen, and Sheffield's Isabelle Delmedo was the standout for the South Yorkshire programme as they beat BMet 88-44.

Her 26-point, 13-rebound double-double was a big one, keeping her side on course for the post-season in the process.

Honourable mentions

Eva-Grace Yebila - City of London Academy - Southwark (18pts, 11reb, 3stl, 28eff, stats received after TOTW selection deadline)
Mia Gajaga - Nottingham Academy Wildcats (10pts, 12reb, 19eff)
Evie Richards - The Sheffield College (16pts, 8reb, 2ast, 4stl, 14eff)

Main image credit - Harvey Steele