Essex Rebels seal third place and first ever home playoff 

The Essex Rebels have secured their highest-ever league finish and sealed their first home play-off – setting up the biggest game in the club’s history.

The women’s SLB side clinched the milestone with victory over Manchester on Saturday, completing a perfect nine-game home record at the Essex Sport Arena. Now they are setting their sights on the finals at London’s O2 Arena but first face a decisive 4pm play-off clash against London Lions this weekend.

Fans are being urged to turn the arena black for the special themed game as the Rebels call on Essex to back the county’s only professional basketball team. 

Coach Ash Cookson is calling on fans new and old to support them for Saturday’s showdown at the University of Essex. He said:

“We’re excited to have achieved the highest finish in Rebels women’s history! Securing home-court advantage was one of our key goals at the start of the season, and I’m incredibly proud of the way the team has performed to make that happen.  Now, our focus shifts to taking it one possession at a time in these knockout stages.  “London Lions will be tough competition, but we’re excited for the challenge and for one last home game in front of our fans.”  

The game builds on a barnstorming 2025/26 for the Rebels which also saw them reach the Betty Codona Trophy semis and the SLB Cup quarter finals.  

Star player Natalie Chou, shooting guard, said:

We’re really looking forward to our first playoff game against the London Lions.  At this point of the season, I feel that we are playing some of our best basketball and can’t wait to keep the momentum going into this weekend. The Lions are a great team with some great individual players, so we’ll look to limit them and play our style of basketball.” 
 

Tickets are on sale now and cost under £4 for children and are just £9.80 for adults with a bumper crowd expected for the club’s biggest home game yet, with fans urged to secure their seats early.