MK Breakers make basketball history

Formed in 2022, the MK Breakers lifted the National Cup in only their second ever season making basketball history in the process, beating Division One table toppers Reading Rockets 95-85 in the showpiece event at Manchester’s National Basketball Performance Centre on the 21st January.

The win means the Breakers are the first team ever from outside NBL Division One to win the NBL National Cup. For those unfamiliar with the basketball pyramid – it’s the equivalent of MK Dons winning The FA Cup.

Almost 500 fans made the journey from Milton Keynes to Manchester to support Coach Billy Beddow’s side, and completely overshadowed their rival Reading fans – as their “sea of red” roared the team to their historic triumph.

While every member of the team contributed, it was local Milton Keynes player,  Jordan Spencer who earned MVP accolades for his performance – 38 points, 8 rebounds and 11 assists. An absolute masterclass that had the Breakers fans chanting “MVP,” in the closing seconds of the game.

It wasn’t just the Men’s Team who reached the National Cup Final – the day before, the MK Breakers U16’s Girls team reached their first ever National Cup Final in only their third season. Sadly it wasn’t to be for the Breakers Girls who suffered a 86-66 defeat against Richmond Knights, a team that included four current England and GB players, but a magnificent effort that reflects the development and growth of the Breakers Girls basketball programme, that now boasts over 150 girls and 4 National League teams at U12, U14, U16 and U18 age groups.

The recognition and reputation of the girls programme was further enhanced as standout player Athena Thompson was recently named Basketball England’s Under 16 Girls National Player of the Year, 2023. 15-year-old Thompson represented both England and GB during the season, capped by a superb performance at U16 European Championships last summer where she averaged 14 points per game – the 5th highest in the tournament – totalling 98 points across 7 games, helping GB to a 6th place finish.