May 20, 2022
Newly-retired Janice Monakana joins the MVP Cast.
She tells Mark Woods about the emotions in playing her final game in Sevenoaks Suns' defeat in the WBBL Playoff final and why the inadequate salaries in British basketball contributed to her decision to call time and plot a radical career change.
We look back on her journey and how the death of her father when she was 14 shaped her in deciding her hoops pathway. And we relive some of the highs and lows with Great Britain and beyond - and find out what she'll miss most. More at mvp247.com.
May 12, 2022
We preview the 2022 BBL and WBBL Playoff Finals on the MVP Cast.
Mark Woods is joined by Leicester Riders head coach Rob Paternostro and London Lions boss Nikhil Lawry to look ahead to their duel at London's The 02 Arena - and Lions' Kennedy Leonard and Sevenoaks Suns' Cat Carr give us their insights on Sunday's WBBL finale. More at mvp247.com
May 5, 2022
Leicester Riders' newly-crowned BBL Player of the Year Geno Crandall joins the MVP Cast.
He tells Mark Woods the secret behind his team's success this term and the decision process that will determine whether he stays or moves on.
We explore the different dynamic between his time at North Dakota and NCAA powerhouse Gonzaga University and how it's shaped him as a player.
And he reveals why his upbringing in Minneapolis has instilled a drive to fight for social justice and use his voice for good. More at mvp247.com
April 21, 2022
Loughborough's Carl Ntifo joins the MVP Cast.
He tells Mark Woods about opting to tell his story as an openly gay basketballer and the differences he wants to see to make the sport a safer place for the LGBT community. We talk about his experiences on both sides of the Atlantic, his aspirations now he's ending his student days - and what, as a teccie, his dream app to build would be. More at mvp247.com
April 7, 2022
London Lions guard Shanice Beckford-Norton joins the MVP Cast.
She tells Mark Woods about the culture of the WBBL leaders as they chase a domestic clean sweep and her relentless drive for self-improvement. The Great Britain international reveals the importance of family influences amid her journey through basketball and talks about her role as a coach and the impact it has. More at mvp247.com
March 24, 2022
Surrey Scorchers guard Caylin Raftopoulos joins the MVP Cast.
He tells Mark Woods about his dual identity as a Zimbabwean-Brit and the complications he found in trying his luck in the USA as a teen.
He reveals his plans to retire from playing to focus fully on building a basketball academy and dealing with Surrey's struggles in the BBL this season.
And he talks us through how he dealt with depression that put on the floor - and the importance of talking out when he was struggling. More at mvp247.com
March 17, 2022
Ex-BBL player turned Sky Sports analyst Anthony Rowe joins the MVP Cast.
He tells us about his transition from title-winning player at Leicester Riders to broadcasting, and now a career as a wealth management consultant and preparing to make a successful switch when injuries began to mount. He details his love of hometown club Plymouth Raiders and why he'd love one last call at the Pavilions. Plus we preview this weekend's BBL Trophy final. More at MVP247.com.
February 25, 2022
Gloucester City Queens guard Claire Abbott joins the MVP Cast.
She tells Mark Woods about life, basketball and work in Yukon, the remotest part of Canada where her alternative mission was to address society's problems there as a social worker. Claire reveals why she had an itch to scratch to play pro hoops, being part of a WBBL start-up ... and how she wants to read minds. More at MVP247.com.
February 17, 2022
Great Britain forward Carl Wheatle joins the MVP Cast.
He tells Mark Woods about how he was forced to grow up early after the death of his father and moving to Italy but how choosing to make his life abroad gave him a head start. He reveals the secrets of success of the Italian system, his feelings about being tabbed as a future GB captain, and what it would take to lure him home to the BBL. More at mvp247.com
February 10, 2022
Conor Meany joins the MVP Cast.
He tells Mark Woods about his new book - Hoops Across The Ocean: The Rise and Fall of the Irish basketball team - which chronicles the era where Ireland was transformed by the arrival of Irish-Americans and NBA-calibre talent but conflicted by the impact it had on homegrown players. We assess the long-term implications that transpired, the pitch of hoops to today's generation - and whether Dublin and Belfast are ripe for BBL expansion franchise. More at mvp247.com.
