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9 April 2026  6 min read

W/NBL Playoff Preview (11/12 Apr 2026) - Live Stats, streaming, schedule and more

Teams across D1 and D2 are closing in on post-season glory but still have tricky semi-finals to navigate if they're to keep their hopes alive.

The NBL Playoff Finals are at Manchester's National Basketball Performance Centre on 25/26 April 2026, with tickets available via the button below.

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Saturday 11 April 2026

D1M

6pm - Solent Kestrels vs Barking Abbey - LIVE STATS

7:30pm - Worcester Wolves vs Manchester Magic - LIVE STATS

D1W

3:15pm - CoLA Southwark Pride vs Anglia Ruskin University - LIVE STATS

D2M

5pm - Oaklands Wolves vs Sussex Storm

D2W

2pm - Barking Abbey vs Hemel Storm

Sunday 12 April 2026

D1W

1pm - London Cavaliers vs Endeavour Ipswich Basketball - LIVE STATS

D2M

2pm - Gloucester City Kings vs Tees Valley Mohawks

D2W

4:30pm - Milton Keynes Breakers vs East London Phoenix

View all the fixtures for this weekend

D1M

After a pair of #3 seed upsets in the quarter-finals, the D1M semis pit a pair of familiar foes against each other once again.

Pool A vs Pool A and Pool B vs Pool B is on the cards for this weekend, starting with Solent Kestrels entertaining Barking Abbey in a rematch of last season's D2M Playoff Final.

Splitting their regular-season series 1-1, with both teams winning away from home, their most recent meeting was in early January as Solent came through as 71-59 winners.

That clash was preceded by a 90-71 Barking victory back in mid-October, and no doubt both teams have developed since their most recent meeting to begin 2026.

Potential Pool B MVP candidate Andre Arissol (feature image and MVP of last season's D2M Final) had 25 points during Solent's January win and will no doubt be a factor this weekend, though Barking's young core, including Joshua Mendes, have come on significantly as the campaign has progressed.

The other half of the draw sees a pair of Pool A teams locking horns, with league winners Worcester playing host to Manchester Magic.

Another duo that split their games during league play, Manchester will no doubt be buoyed by their recent 80-57 victory back in mid-February.

That defeat was one of just five that the Wolves suffered this year, but it shows that Magic can mix it with the best teams in D1M after their own 16-6 campaign.

Worcester's Earl Burgess is a good Player of the Year shout given the level of his play this year, and his matchup with the likes of Aaron Bile and Jack Walton will be exciting to watch.

This weekend's visitors will no doubt feel momentum is also on their side after a road win over Pool B's #2 seeds last time out, beating Barnet 106-103 in a thriller to set up their clash with the Wolves.

D1W

Defending champs CoLA continue their playoff run on Saturday, hosting #3 seeds Anglia Ruskin after ARU dumped out WNBL National Cup winners Manchester in the quarter-finals.

Pride had no problem in their own first-round match-up, easily dismissing #7 seeds Brent 72-45 to set up a home tie for this weekend.

This playoff run will be a last hurrah for a number of CoLA's roster, with stars including Ayla Habbal (George Washington) and Adaora Dioramma (Hofstra) departing at season's end.

That will no doubt provide some extra incentive for Coach Gibbons' side, especially after ARU's 61-58 win against CoLA in their final action of the regular season.

Sunday hosts the other semi-final, with #1 seeds London Cavaliers welcoming #4 Endeavour Ipswich Basketball, who are looking to add another playoff title to their previous success in 2020/21.

90-76 winners against Worcester last time out, Ipswich will try to upset a Cavs side that went 17-3 in the regular season, including a pair of victories against this weekend's opponents.

Ipswich's starting five of Harriet Welham, Maisie Keyes, Ashleigh Pink, Maya Price and Holly Ensoll certainly has the star power to trouble the WNBL National Cup finalists, but the Cavs' duo of Janice Monakana and Chinwe Iwunze are in the league's Player of the Season debate for a reason, churning out high-level performances all season long.

D2M/W

18-0 Pool B winners Oaklands Wolves will look to continue their spotless season as they host Pool D champs Sussex Storm in the first of two exciting looking semi-finals for D2M.

The Wolves are coming off a 20-0 bye in the quarters, but the same can't be said for Sussex after Storm survived a wild 78-76 win against Ipswich.

Joining one of those sides in this year's Final will be Gloucester City Kings or Tees Valley Mohawks.

The Kings are another side riding a perfect season, going 18-0 to claim Pool C and adding a 79-47 victory over West Yorkshire Hawks to that record last time out.

The Mohawks have some history on their side, having claimed four D1M Playoff titles in their past, most recently in 2003/04, with the North West side looking to get back to those glory days with a successful post-season run.

The top two sides from D2W's pools make up the Final Four in their competition, setting the scene for a pair of highly-anticipated encounters.

Pool B champs Barking are at home to Pool A runners up Hemel, who went 18-2 across a hard-fought regular-season campaign.

Last season's beaten playoff finalists Milton Keynes Breakers topped Pool A, and they have a home tie against Pool B runners up East London Phoenix, who came out on top against City of Birmingham 66-55 in the quarter-finals.

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