From Caitlin Clark to the London Lions, women’s basketball has been having a moment – but now is the time to feed it with fresh investment, says Greenhouse Sports CEO Don Barrell.
Women’s basketball in the UK has been building enormous momentum, culminating in what should have been the sport’s very own Lionesses moment, and a chance to inspire a new generation.
However, instead of enjoying a celebratory moment that inspires growth, the sport’s impetus is under threat. 777 Partners, who bought the London Lions in 2020 (and have been trying to buy Everton), have reportedly told the women’s team they will not be competing in Europe next season.
This news, coming off the back of Lions making history and becoming the first English side to win the EuroCup Women competition, is devastating for the sport at all levels, with the reigning champions potentially not even able to take part.
As the Lions’ charity partner, with some of our (Greenhouse Sports) coaches and young people attending training camps and invited as guests support the players at the Copper Box Arena, we share this sense of loss with the team.
Women’s basketball’s on-court achievements in the UK come at a time when the WNBA is at its peak in popularity in the US. At the March Madness college tournament, 22-year-old Caitlin Clark ascended to superstar level, smashing several college records before declaring for the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Her meteoric rise saw her selected as the number one pick by the Indiana Fever, before signing the highest ever shoe contract for a women’s player with Nike and has many speculating that she will be as transformative to the sport as Michael Jordan.
We’re seeing success and increased visibility at home and abroad, and the unquestionable potential for women and girls playing this game at all levels. Yet, as has been the continued story of the sport, funding remains the barrier to serious growth.
With Basketball England reporting a significant rise in the number of players nationwide, we have a prime opportunity to grow this hugely accessible sport, which serves as a powerful catalyst for positive change, especially in areas of high deprivation – a reality we witness first hand in our work.
At Greenhouse, we’ve worked hard and with strategic focus on increasing the number of girls participating in our programmes and getting active, and are proud to lead the way in the UK in terms of girls’ participation in basketball.
We currently fund 40 full time coach-mentors in schools, providing expert coaching and personal development as daily extra-curricular activity – including breakfast and after school clubs, coupled with sessions during the day – all for free.
As of now we have 4,000 young people playing basketball with Greenhouse, and 40 per cent of them are girls. That level of access encourages girls to stay in basketball and the results of our intervention translate into better school attendance, wellbeing and results in the classroom.
We are calling for the sport to capitalise on its own Lionesses moment and for funding bodies to provide more investment and commitment to support the growth, depth and spread of the sport. We can see what is possible, the potential is there, it’s time for everyone to raise the game.
Don Barrell is CEO at sport for development charity Greenhouse Sports, which provides sports coaching and mentoring for young people from some of the most deprived communities in the UK. To find out more about Greenhouse Sports, visit www.greenhousesports.org
