Th3 Swish Basketball have made history by reaching the semifinals of the National Women's Basketball Premier League for the first time. They edged Strathmore Swords 2-1 in a thrilling quarterfinal playoff series. Swish suffered a narrow 80-78 defeat in Game One but responded emphatically, winning Game Two 49-27 before holding their nerve to edge Swords 47-46 in a tense Game Three over the weekend.
The result marks Swish's first-ever playoff appearance and sees them advance to the semifinal stage for the first time. They now face defending champions Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) in a daunting best-of-five semifinal series. Swish head coach Ariel Okal attributed his side's success against Strathmore to their defensive discipline and their ability to stick to the game plan throughout the series.
Okal highlighted that his team's defensive strategies were crucial to their victory. "Our first key to success in this series was our defense. We trusted our defensive schemes and believed Strathmore couldn't beat the defense we were playing. We stuck to the game plan from Game One all the way through Game Three," he said.
Despite the team's success, Okal admitted that his young team made mistakes that contributed to the tight finishes. "Of course, we made a lot of mistakes, and that is why two of the games ended up being close. The guys are young, so mistakes like that are expected," he added.
The coach described the qualification as a significant milestone for the club, particularly given that it is their first playoff campaign. "This is huge for us because this is the first time Swish Basketball has won a game in a playoff series. It is also the first time we have reached the playoff semifinals. In fact, it is the first time ever that we have made the playoffs, so this is an amazing achievement for us," said Okal.
Swish begin their semifinal battle against KPA today, Wednesday, at 6pm at Nyayo Gymnasium in Nairobi, with Game Two scheduled for Thursday at 8pm at the same venue. The series will then move to Makande Gymnasium in Mombasa for Game Three, while Games Four and Five will be played if required.
Meanwhile, Equity Hawks face Stanbic Aces in an all-bankers semifinal clash. The Bankers Derby is scheduled for 8pm at Nyayo Gymnasium. This development marks an exciting stage in the National Women's Basketball Premier League, with Th3 Swish looking to make the most of their historic semifinal spot.
Key points
- Th3 Swish make history by reaching National Women's Basketball Premier League semifinals
- Swish face defending champions Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) in the semifinal series
- Th3 Swish's success attributed to defensive discipline and sticking to the game plan
