Th3 Swish have booked their place in the semi-finals of the 2026 Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) Women's Premier League after defeating Strathmore University's Swords 2-1 in the quarters. This victory marks a significant milestone for Th3 Swish, who were promoted to the Premier League recently. Their coach, Ariel Okal, described the win as a battle for survival. The team's progress was threatened when they narrowly lost Game One 78-80 but they levelled the series 1-1 after Swords forfeited Game Two.
The forfeiture of Game Two was due to Swords' refusal to play following power outages that interrupted the game. At the time the game prematurely ended, Th3 Swish were leading 49-27. In Game Three, Th3 Swish dominated the first half, taking the first quarter 15-9 and stretching their lead to 32-20 at half-time. They won the second period 17-11. Despite Swords' recovery in the second half, scoring 26 points against Th3 Swish's 15, they lost by a single point, securing Th3 Swish's semi-final spot.
Elsewhere in the KBF Women's Premier League, reigning champions Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) remain on course to defend their title after beating Safe Spaces 2-0 to advance to the semis. KPA dismissed Safe Spaces 76-35 in Game Two, which was played at Makande Gymnasium. This win joins them with rivals Equity Hawks, who were the first to qualify after eliminating Zetech University Sparks.
In the Men's Premier League, defending champions Nairobi City Thunder laboured to a 78-67 victory over their hosts KPA in Game One of the best-of-five series. This was the first time Thunder faced a real threat, as KPA forced them to work harder and secure victory in overtime. KPA led 59-57 with just six seconds on the clock but missed an open chance to give them victory when Jshin Brownlee missed a dunk.
Thunder capitalised on KPA's blunder to punish their hosts by leveling the score 59-59 and forcing the duel to be decided in overtime. They made the best out of the second chance, totally outplaying KPA to score 19 points against eight to snatch the victory. David Deng was the star of the game, knocking down 21 points to anchor Thunder to a 1-0 lead.
Derrick Ogechi and captain Tylor Ongwae also had a great evening for Thunder, scoring 15 and 14 points respectively. For KPA, Jason Kesseng led with 13 points while Brownlee added 11. The win puts Thunder in a strong position in the Men's Premier League title defense.
The semi-final lineups for both the Men's and Women's Premier League are taking shape, with Th3 Swish, Equity Hawks, and Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) in strong contention. The playoffs promise to be exciting, with top teams battling for the championship titles.
Key points
- Th3 Swish secure semi-final spot in KBF Women's Premier League
- Nairobi City Thunder start Men's Premier League defense with win
- KPA on course to defend Women's Premier League title
