Noelia Cacheiro has pledged to build her remodelled Seriös Group Newcastle Eagles team around a committed core of players with proven experience of the British game.

In the week the women in black were handed a tough start to the new season, Newcastle’s Spanish playcaller revealed contracts have already been offered to the club’s top targets.

And Cacheiro doesn’t intend to deviate too far from the tried and tested formula of fusing homegrown experience with exciting overseas talent.

“Last season we were only a proven point guard away from having a winning team capable of fulfilling its potential,” she said.

“I felt we had a core of talented and committed players who bought into a certain identity and I want to build on the progress we made together as a group.

“I’ve been looking at a few new faces — additions to the team that will address some of last season’s weaknesses.

“We still have plenty of time to iron things out but I’d expect some concrete decisions soon.”

The new fixture list brings into focus the enormity of Newcastle’s task as they seek to compete with the likes of London Lions, Leicester Riders and Caledonia Gladiators for a seat at the British game’s top table.

The Eagles face a trip to the newly-named Manchester Giants on October 22 before opening their homecourt campaign against the Gladiators six days later.

The Lions visit the Vertu Motors Arena on November 18 and the first North East derby of the season takes place two weeks later with Durham Palatinates due on Tyneside on December 2.

League action is suspended throughout January as the new-look Betty Codona Trophy takes centre stage at the start of 2024.

Newcastle have been handed a home tie against Nottingham Wildcats in the opening round on January 6 with the quarter-finals set for the following weekend.

Championship action resumes on February 3 with the inaugural women’s All-Star game scheduled for March 17.

Cacheiro heads into her second full campaign at the Eagles’ helm determined to return Newcastle to the top half of the Championship table.

There’s still an underlying sense of what might have been after a series of disappointing results towards the end of the regular season saw the Tynesiders paired with all-conquering London in the playoff quarter-finals.

That was always going to be a game too far for the women in black but Cacheiro added: “I’m confident that we’ll bring in the point guard we need this season and that will make all the difference.

“I like the look of the team we’re trying to put together this summer but it’s still a challenging marketplace whether you’re looking at British players or overseas talent.”

Tickets for the 2023-24 season’s opening home game are available now from the box office.

Our women’s tip-offs can be automatically added and kept up to date in your device’s calendar via our fixtures and results page.