The London Lions produced a dominant performance at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena, defeating Essex Rebels 83-67 to win their fourth consecutive WBBL trophy.
Megan Gustafson of the Lions led the way with 15 points and eight rebounds and was named MVP.
Temi Fagbenle also added 13 points and Ivana Katanic added 12 points.
Savannah Wilkinson contributed 12 points off the bench.
Gustafsson praised the team’s togetherness after securing the win.
“It’s unbelievable to be in this team and get this win,” she told Sky Sports.
“I have to give a lot of credit to Essex, they fought hard and gave us a lot of challenges.
“I’m so proud of this team. It means a lot. We have great chemistry and that makes this team even more special.”
The Lions raced out with a commanding lead, ending the first quarter with a 26-13 lead. Essex were not clinically competent and were regularly punished by effective attacks on London. Gustafsson hit a 3-pointer and scored 11 points.
However, Essex, playing in the finals for the first time, bounced back in the second quarter, with Daysha Logan, who finished with 15 individual points, hitting two threes to maintain a 13-point lead at the halfway point, making the team 48-35. It became. under.
London was wasted on shots, making just 1 of 11, but Essex remained competitive with a 50% 3-point percentage in the first half.
However, 11 turnovers and six Lions steals by half-time revealed the story of Essex’s game.
But every time an element of pressure was applied, the Lions hit a new gear after the restart, led by 27-year-old Gustafsson. They ended the third quarter with a 66-46 lead.
Essex’s defense remained resolute in the final quarter, but London added another 17 points in total, the highlight being substitute Kat Snitsyna’s superb 3-pointer late on. .