Sheffield’s Georgia Gayle is competing for England in the 3x3 basketball in this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow

One of Sheffield’s most impactful sporting families is back in the international spotlight this weekend.

On Saturday, England’s 3x3 women’s basketball team begin their Commonwealth Games campaign in Glasgow as they take on Singapore and featured in the roster will be Georgia Gayle, who is aiming to write her own chapter in an incredible cross-generational story.

Georgia is just one prominent branch of a family tree, with roots firmly in Sheffield, that is synonymous with women’s basketball in the UK.

Legendary women's basketball player and coach Betty Codona | UGC

placeholder image — Legendary women's basketball player and coach Betty Codona | UGC

Legendary pioneer of the sport and former Sheffield Hatters player and coach, Betty Codona, is Georgia’s grandmother. Her mother, Loraine, is a basketball coach and former player, as is her father Garnet who captained Sheffield Sharks.

On top of that, aunt Vanessa Ellis is coach of the Hatters, assisted by her nephew Tyler, Georgia’s brother.

Sheffield Hatters coach Venessa Ellis | ugc

And then there’s Quinn Ellis, the rising star in the men’s game who after a stunning year in the EuroLeague with Italian outfit Olimpia Milano will next season head for the US to compete at college level with St John’s in New York, where he will reportedly earn between $4.5m and $4.8m during his year in the States.

Despite all of that, in women’s basketball circles, it remains Betty’s name that crops up most.

Quinn Ellis, Georgia Gayle's cousin | Basketball UK

Georgia is understandably proud of this rich sporting heritage even though, as she admits, it was difficult to step out of the shadow as a younger sportswoman.

But now, she is preparing to create a legacy of her own in Glasgow.

“Now I'm getting older, I'm starting to find my feet with that,” Gayle said. “Every interview is ‘oh, you're Betty's granddaughter’.

“Of course, I enjoy speaking about her but now I'm getting older, it is important for me to write my story and figure out what my legacy is going to be.

“She was an extraordinary lady and I'm definitely proud to be her granddaughter. She was a pioneer in the game.

“She actually played in seven and seven is my number. My nan played in it, my mum did, and now I do.

“It's just nice to be able to carry on her legacy, not necessarily the footsteps, she did way too much for me to do, but it's nice to follow after her.”

It would be understandable for anyone to become suffocated by the sheer prominence of any sport within a family so entrenched in it. Georgia admitted it had been a ‘struggle’ when she was younger, before succumbing to the inevitable.

Georgia Gayle in action for Sheffield Hatters | UGC

“I lived with my grandma growing up,” she said. “It was me, my mum, my brother, my grandma in the house, and I don't think we talked about anything else apart from basketball – whether it was at the breakfast table, dinner table or in the car.

“When I hit my teens, I struggled with it because I was like ‘what else is there’?

“There's more to life than just basketball, and I did have horses growing up so that was a nice outlet.

“But it got to the point at 16 where I had to choose. I ended up choosing basketball because we didn't have the funds to be successful at horse riding.

“I knew I was talented at basketball and options were appearing, so I bit the bullet and just went with it.”

Coming off the back of quadruple glory and currently without a team for next season, Georgia’s sights are on a gold medal after England’s silver in 2022 in Birmingham.

This year’s Commonwealth Games were supposed to take place in Australia but the State of Victoria was forced to pull out due to rising costs. Glasgow has since stepped in to ensure the games would continue.

The SEC centre will host the basketball, where Georgia will be joined by Shanice Beckford-Norton and Cheridene Green who took part in Birmingham, along with Katie Januszewska, like Georgia, a newcomer to the team.

“Last year, I started playing three-on-three and we did the women's series, so we travelled with that and did Europe Cup,” said Georgia, a relative newcomer to the format.

“I really enjoy three-on-three, I'd love to transition into it full-time if possible, but it's just not there yet in the women's game.

“As soon as I heard it was going to be at the Commonwealth Games and there was a chance I could be part of it, of course I wanted to be there.

“It's a smaller roster, so it's even harder to make the team. It is just really important that I go out and I play hard. Shanice will not come home until we get a gold and we're all on the same page with that.”

Sheffield athletes are few and far between at this year’s games.

England will likely be in amongst the hunt for a medal in the women’s basketball but one to keep an eye on is sprinter Louie Hinchliffe, who won bronze at the Olympics.

Pontefract-born Max Lichfield, a former member of City of Sheffield Swimming Club is a three-time Olympic finalist and world silver medallist is taking part in his first games since 2014.