Newcastle Eagles go into their home Super League Basketball Women’s Championship home game against Essex Rebels in fine form and with confidence high after two impressive wins in their last two games.

Head Coach Chloe Gaynor is a perfect two from two in her rookie coaching career and the current SLB Women’s Coach of the Month with November’s player of the month Jada Guinn on her talented and promising roster.

A win over Essex would give Gaynor and her players a great chance of completing the 2024 calendar year in fine style with a trip to Cardiff to come following Saturday’s home game. But it has to be a one game at a time mentality.

One of Gaynor’s players is British guard/forward Abby Lowe and although nowhere near the veteran stage Lowe is in her fifth season with Newcastle and in the top flight of British basketball.

Playing alongside her friend and colleague and now under her as a coach she’s perfectly placed to review the Eagles current position and what it’s been like playing under her guidance.

“Chloe has been given a hard challenge this year. Coaching is one thing but player coach is a whole different ball game.”

“She’s a brilliant coach to start off with, brilliant IQ and lots of great ideas and she has mine and the players backing all the way to help her navigate through this year. So, so far it’s been a really fun experience.”

Gaynor is actually the fourth coach Lowe has played under at Newcastle but says the changes are becoming something that she’s getting used too.

“We’re getting pretty good adapting to change at this point. Under the last 3 coaches we got to a final, so logic dictates we’ll do it again, right? We love to keep everyone on their toes.”

With her experience of the League and of the Newcastle franchise and expectations Lowe is the sort of player that others particularly the young USA rookie imports would look to for leaderships but she doesn’t see it that way. She feels all have a role to play.

“We have a group of great leaders on this team , to many voices can sometimes be overwhelming , so I’m just going to keep doing where I do and always be there for support, encouragement and my perspective when it’s asked of me.”

Certainly, the buoyancy, energy, defensive intensity and scoring ability that Lowe brings to the party is crucial to Gaynor and Newcastle’s cause as she looks forward to the visit of The Rebels and what she feels are the keys to the game.

“The focus is on us, if we play our game, at our tempo and dictate for the majority of the game I’m confident we can come out on top. Essex are a great match up for us and I would obviously love to end on a high before Christmas.”

Tip-off at the Vertu Motors Arena for this crucial game is at 7:30pm and a win would be the perfect start for Newcastle at the beginning of the festive season and take them to Cardiff to face The Met Archers next Saturday in red-hot form and flying high.

Tickets are still available to buy on the box office and on the door.