After 9 seasons in the WBBL the Manchester Mystics have re-franchised and joined forces with the Manchester Giants, and the team are ready to get underway as their season tips off this weekend with a double header.

Bringing together familiar faces alongside some new ones, reuniting previous teammates, the Giants have formed a strong mix of experienced veterans and players at the start of their careers. We caught up with the team to see how they are preparing and to get their thoughts on the upcoming season.

Georgia Anderson and Lauren Thomas-Johnson:

The big news for the Giants this off-season was the return of the Mystics all-time scoring, assist and steals leader in GB and England international legend Georgia Anderson (nee Jones). Anderson broke the 2000 point mark in the WBBL during the 2021-22 season, becoming the second player after Cat Carr, to do so, and is synonymous with Manchester Basketball. Having stepped away last season to focus on family and welcome her first child, speaking about why now was the time to come back to the court Anderson reflects: “I just really missed it last year, it felt like I wasn’t quite finished.”

Back alongside her is long time teammate Lauren Thomas-Johnson, who also took time away from Basketball as she became a mum again. Speaking about her time with the Mystics in the 2021-22 season, Thomas-Johnson explains “I was playing…and I was on a roll and then it got cut because I got pregnant so it’s almost like unfinished business.” On a roll is right, Thomas-Johnson was averaging a career high 14.9 ppg and having her second best shooting season as a pro before her break. Having played together since they were 10 years old, winning a Commonwealth Silver medal together in 2018 and the inaugural WBBL Cup in 2017, Anderson adds “It’s just great to be finishing off our careers together.” Thomas Johnson agrees, “We started together and it just made sense to end it together.”

Hannah Shaw and Leah McDerment:

Back in the fold after a couple of seasons in Sheffield is GB and England veteran Hannah Shaw, who was also part of the Commonwealth medal winning team. Shaw played for the Mystics during the 2020-21 season then headed to the Hatters where she averaged 8.7 ppg and 4.6 rpg across her two seasons. A formidable presence in the post, fans will be pleased to see Shaw’s trademark fadeaway back in Manchester. The club’s re-franchising has the support of Shaw: “I’m really happy to be back and with the Giants now taking over the Mystics…having a unified approach to Basketball in Manchester is incredible. Being able to all be under the same umbrella does loads for pushing the sport, raising the profile of the Women’s game, in Manchester especially, and making things a little bit more professional which is where we need to take our league.”

As the sole returning player from last years Mystics squad, Leah McDerment is looking forward to the new season: “I’m really excited to have a lot of the more experienced players back that are originally from Manchester and have had some time out. We’ve got a really nice array of ages and it’s going to be a really good, fun year and a lot of opportunity to learn.” McDerment stepped into a leadership role for the Mystics last year on a team with the majority of players in only their first or second professional seasons. Despite the team finishing in 12th place, McDerment’s influence on court was evident as she showed with career highs across the board (11.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 4.5 rpg), a 10 assist game against Newcastle and 24 points and 10 rebounds against Essex.

Kizzy Spence, Eva Karasaite and Eve Shadrick:

Also making a move back to her hometown is Kizzy Spence, who spent the last two seasons with the Oaklands Wolves. A dynamic, fast paced scorer, Spence is excited to be back up North and her enthusiasm shows when speaking about being home where it all began: “I feel great…I can’t wait to show my skill set off, my resilience and just fight for everything we’ve got (with) this team.” Playing for the Wolves in both the WBBL (4.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg) and WEABL (9.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg) allowed Spence to develop her game and she spoke about what she learnt from her time there and will bring to the Giants: “My confidence, bring my style of play to the game, (I’ll) be confident and shoot those shots.”

A teammate of Spence with the Wolves, Eva Karasaite is eager to get started. Speaking about why she chose to head over to Manchester, Karasaite explains: “For me it’s to continue on the WBBL journey, develop as an athlete and just have fun with it. Changing the scenery, trying to see different perspectives from different clubs, just learning.” In 2022-23 Karasaite built on her debut WBBL season almost doubling her court time to 20 minutes while averaging 3.1 ppg and 3.5 rpg and in the Wolves home fixture against the Mystics she scored 8 points shooting 100% from the field.

Making the step up to the WBBL this season is Eve Shadrick. Having previously played for Head Coach Marg Jones during her time with the Leicester Riders, that connection drew Shadrick to the Giants: “I knew Marg from Leicester and I loved her style of coaching, I think she really understood me so I was excited to start my WBBL journey with someone I trusted.” Shadrick, MVP of this summers Bridport 3×3 final, is another young player looking forward to the opportunity playing with the likes of Anderson brings: “There’s so many veterans, so much experience in the team I’m just excited to learn off them and gain from that.”

Brooklynn McAlear-Fannus and Idil Turk:

Two new faces for the Giants will be bringing their European playing experience to the squad. Brooklyn McAlear-Fannus, who has previous WBBL experience with the Riders and coach Jones, spent last season in Germany before making her return to the WBBL. In her previous stint, McAlear-Fannus was a crucial part of a Riders team that finished 4th. She led the team in assists (5.3) was second in scoring (12.1 ppg), and added 4.5 rpg and 1.5 spg. Coming back to the league seems like it was an easy decision based on her time in Leicester: “I loved British Basketball, I had a really good time when I was here (with the Riders). The competition is great. I just really enjoyed my experience here. (Our) preparation has been going really well, we almost have all our pieces together, practices have been really productive and we’re looking good.” A do- it-all guard, McAlear-Fannus is a player who brings energy and a fast pace to any team she’s on.

Making her WBBL debut this season is Idil Turk. Having played in Turkey last season she brings a wealth of experience over to the Giants. Playing her college Basketball at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, she returned to Turkey to start her pro career spending time with Hatay, where she played in Eurocup, Izmit and then Cankaya last season. Playing alongside WNBA players such as Brianna Turner and Ty Harris, Turk averaged 4.6 ppg, shooting 34.4% from behind the arc and spoke about the build up to tip off: “It’s been going really well, we’ve been practicing…trying to understand each other, how we play together and building chemistry. It’s going to be my first year, it’s going to be a new experience… so I’m really looking forward (to) the competition.”

Myah Pace and Emilie Black:

After a year playing NCAA DII in Florida for Lynn University, Emilie Black returns to the UK. Named MVP of the WEABL final (21 points on 81% shooting) in the 2021-22 season while playing for City of London Academy, Black brings a defensive mindset, honed during her time with the club. “I’m really excited for the high level of competition…and playing together with this group of girls. I love Manchester, I love the city, its buzzy. I love the culture (of the team)…the facilities, the coaching and the players.”

Graduating from the University of San Diego this summer, Myah Pace heads over to slightly less sunny Manchester but is ready for a new challenge: “I’m really excited to compete with my teammates and to get better every week and just have a lot of fun. The desire to keep playing, keep learning and keep getting better and developing my game (brought me here) and the opportunity to live in the UK…and play has been amazing so far.” A resilient and hard working player, Pace led her team in steals (1.4) and finished her career in 14th place on the all-time scoring list (1,144), as she developed into a natural leader for the team on and off the court.

Marg Jones and Rheanne Bailey:

Returning for her second season as Head Coach is Marg Jones, after a challenging season last year where the team had to deal with multiple injuries and a limited roster, Jones is ready to go: “I’m really excited just to get started and see this group of veterans and new players to the programme mesh together. I’m excited about the leadership and the veteran presence on the floor, with a combination of some really talented young players.”

Transitioning into a coaching role, having retired as a player after seven seasons in the WBBL, six spent with the Mystics, is Rheanne Bailey. Second on the Mystics all-time leader board in assists and points scored, Bailey was the Head Coach for the WNBL Division 2 Manchester Mystics last season and is eager for the opportunity to rejoin the WBBL as Assistant Coach of the Giants: “I’m really excited to coach and explore that journey with Marg and this team.” Bailey also echoes Anderson’s earlier thoughts about stepping away: “Everybody knows that once you start playing Basketball and you take some time out you just miss it straight away, my knees are a bit too old to come back on court so I’ll be on the sidelines!”

Fans can get a first look at the Giants when they head to Leicester to take on Jones’ old team on Saturday 21st October and host the Newcastle Eagles at home on Sunday 22 October at 4pm. Watch both games live on the WBBL YouTube Channel here.

Watch the full interviews with the team on FocusHoops YouTube: