Lightning secure unprecedented hat-trick of title wins
Loughborough Lightning’s Wheelchair Basketball side continued its phenomenal dominance in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) by winning a third consecutive title on Saturday evening.
The crushing 73-44 play-off final victory over East London Phoenix confirmed George Bates’ team’s place in the history books – all while going unbeaten throughout the whole campaign.
Lightning’s performance proved to be indicative of the entire season as Loughborough scored with a free-flowing ruthlessness that left little doubt that the winners’ trophy would be returning to the East Midlands once again.
With a side littered with international experience and global medals to their name – including prolific Paralympic Games gold-medallist Bo Kramer – Lightning ultimately made light work of securing another title to remain the only team to take the championship crown since the league’s inception in 2021.
“I’m incredibly happy for this group of players and staff,” said George Bates, Head Coach of Lightning.
“It’s been a long year and to be champions three years in a row is a great achievement. Everyone has contributed in their own way to this win and that’s something I’m proud of.
“We wanted to make a statement this year and continue the fine run of the form we’ve worked so hard for. It’s proved to be another incredible show by the team, and we’ve certainly made memories to last a lifetime.”
(L-R) Lynsey Speirs and Bo Kramer with the championship trophy. Image provided by Ella Raper.
Lightning players will now have a period of rest before embarking on a busy summer of international wheelchair basketball before returning to Loughborough for the 2024/25 campaign.
Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme and named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2024 QS World University Rankings – the eighth year running.
Loughborough is ranked 7th in The UK Complete University Guide 2025, 10th in the Guardian University League Table 2024 and 10th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024.
Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’, and in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 over 90% of its research was rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally-excellent’. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.
The Loughborough University London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.
Loughborough Lightning’s Wheelchair Basketball side continued its phenomenal dominance in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) by winning a third consecutive title on Saturday evening.
The crushing 73-44 play-off final victory over East London Phoenix confirmed George Bates’ team’s place in the history books – all while going unbeaten throughout the whole campaign.
Lightning’s performance proved to be indicative of the entire season as Loughborough scored with a free-flowing ruthlessness that left little doubt that the winners’ trophy would be returning to the East Midlands once again.
With a side littered with international experience and global medals to their name – including prolific Paralympic Games gold-medallist Bo Kramer – Lightning ultimately made light work of securing another title to remain the only team to take the championship crown since the league’s inception in 2021.
“I’m incredibly happy for this group of players and staff,” said George Bates, Head Coach of Lightning.
“It’s been a long year and to be champions three years in a row is a great achievement. Everyone has contributed in their own way to this win and that’s something I’m proud of.
“We wanted to make a statement this year and continue the fine run of the form we’ve worked so hard for. It’s proved to be another incredible show by the team, and we’ve certainly made memories to last a lifetime.”
(L-R) Lynsey Speirs and Bo Kramer with the championship trophy. Image provided by Ella Raper.
Lightning players will now have a period of rest before embarking on a busy summer of international wheelchair basketball before returning to Loughborough for the 2024/25 campaign.
Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme and named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2024 QS World University Rankings – the eighth year running.
Loughborough is ranked 7th in The UK Complete University Guide 2025, 10th in the Guardian University League Table 2024 and 10th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024.
Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’, and in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 over 90% of its research was rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally-excellent’. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.
The Loughborough University London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.
(L-R) Lynsey Speirs and Bo Kramer with the championship trophy. Image provided by Ella Raper.