Will it be the JKL Lady Dolphins to stop the UCU Lady Canons?

2026-03-21 - 10:24

Coach Nick Natuhereza had the luxury of not fielding some of his first choice players, when his team, the UCU Lady Canons ran out 54-36 winners over the Miracle Eaglets March 15 at the Lugogo Indoor stadium. Point-Guard Shilla Lamunu, centre Sarah Namale, and small forward Hajara Najjuuko were not even listed on the squad of 12 that played on the day. If this was not simply an opportunity to give the fringe players a chance to show what they can do, it proved the strength in-depth of this Lady Canons side. However, more likely than not, Natuhereza will return all the players he rested, when they face the defending champions, JKL Lady Dolphins on Friday, March 20 at the Lugogo Indoor stadium. More than anything, Natuhereza knows that this will be his team’s biggest test this season, as the Lady Canons aim to maintain their unbeaten run. The Lady Canons have won all their six games thus far, and therefore remain the only unbeaten women’s team in the National Basketball League (NBL). But in the Dolphins, they face an eternal rival; a team they have probably lost to more times in their history than any other in the league. Few are surprised by the fact that the Lady Canons have beaten the KIU Rangers, Magic Stormers, the KCCA Leopards already. At the beginning of the season, they were touted as the favourites to win the 2026 championship, owing to the fact that their biggest rivals, JKL, had lost some of the players that saw them go past the Lady Canons 3-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals last year. Without Hope Akello, Angella Lokamweri, Agatha Kamwada, and Ruth Letaru, JKL were considered to have been weakened significantly. That, on the other hand, was seen as a big opportunity for the Lady Canons, who, apart from Bridget Aber who joined the JT Lady Jaguars, they had kept the more integral part of their squad. Following another year in the NBL, the likes of Matrina Anyango, Sylvia Nakituuka, and Sylvia Nantongo, would be better and more mature players this season. Indeed, they have shown that, which has inevitably made them look unstoppable presently. But with the experience of JKL, something they have continued to show from the time they beat the JT Lady Jaguars 4-1 in last year’s playoff finals, they remain a dangerous team. Since losing to KCCA Leopards in their season opener, JKL has beaten the Jaguars, Magic Stormers, UPDF Lady Tomahawks, and Nabisunsa among others. Notably, since JKL’s win over the Lady Jaguars, they have built enough confidence for the Lady Canons to know the danger they pose. In addition, the Lady Canons have not been a high-scoring team compared to JKL, which may be a key concern. The Lady Canons’ assistant coach Emmanuel Kiguyi said recently that the team was working hard to make sure that they efficient on offence to become a more high-scoring team. In fact, in comparison, JKL has been scoring quite a lot, something the Lady Canons must keep at a low ebb if they are to beat them. Furthermore, forward Anyango has evidently been the star player of this Lady Canons team. Just like last Sunday, she was the team’s top- scorer with 11 points. Her average so far is 13 points per game. Anyango was the one player JKL tightly marked when the two teams faced off in the semi-finals last year, hence limiting her scoring threat. In the end, the Lady Canons could not make the finals. So, in order to remain unbeaten, the Lady Canons must find a way of thwarting the experience of Evelyn Nakiyingi, Rita Imanishimwe, Brenda Ekon (if she recovers in time), and Flavia Oketcho who remain quietly dangerous, and nothing would please them more than ending Lady Canons’ unbeaten run.