The 2025 Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) playoffs are set, with defending champions JKL Lady Dolphins securing the top seed after finishing the regular season 17-3, edging KCCA Leopards on head-to-head record.
JT Lady Jaguars (16-4) and UCU Lady Canons (14-4) complete the top four. KIU Rangers, Miracle Eaglets, Magic Stormers, and UPDF Lady Tomahawks also booked their spots and will be looking to upset the favorites.
Nabisunsa and Angels fell just short but avoided relegation. Nkumba Lady Marines, winless in 20 games, drop to the lower division alongside A1 Challenge, who didn’t play a single fixture.
The quarterfinals will follow the 1v8, 2v7, 3v6, 4v5 format, each a best-of-three series:
• (1) JKL Lady Dolphins vs (8) UPDF Lady Tomahawks – JKL expect star guard Brenda Ekone back, alongside Gazelles trio Hope Akello, Agatha Kamwada, and Evelyn Nakiyingi.
• (2) KCCA Leopards vs (7) Magic Stormers – KCCA aim to keep form against John Omondi’s unpredictable Stormers.
• (3) JT Lady Jaguars vs (6) Miracle Eaglets – The Eaglets, led by Brenda Alyano, Mariam Namukwaya, and new signing Esther Loki Mpongo, test the Jaguars’ consistency.
• (4) UCU Lady Canons vs (5) KIU Rangers – Gazelles coaches Nicholas Natuhereza (UCU) and Julius Lutwama (KIU) meet after splitting their regular season series.
If JKL advance, they will meet the UCU–KIU winner in a best-of-five semifinal.
Dates will be confirmed after the Men’s Afrobasket tournament in Angola later this month.
