Sheffield Hatters Head Coach Vanessa Ellis makes Women’s British Basketball League history

Now she has made Women’s British Basketball League history after being selected as the Head Coach of the North team for the first-ever Women’s All-Star Game, against the South.

Ellis collected more than 50 caps for England as a player with more than 30 trophies with the Hatters before becoming head coach of the club in 2000.

Her silverware haul includes a treble during the inaugural WBBL season.

A legend of women’s basketball she has been a GB Senior Women assistant for over a decade - including during the Olympics – and helped England win a silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

She won the Molten Coach of the Month in December following a 3-1 record during the month, including a win against title rivals Caledonia Gladiators. 

This season, Ellis has guided the Hatters to second in the Championship standings, as well as forging an impressive run to the Semi-Finals of the Trophy, where her team will meet the imperious and undefeated London Lions on Sunday, to battle for a place in the Trophy Finals in Birmingham.

The Hatters are on the hunt for their first trophy since the 2018-19 season but have been mainstays in the Women’s game and are the women’s games oldest club.

The choice of Ellis as an All Star coach is a morale booster at an important time of the season.

She will oversee the best talent from across the region’s clubs at London’s Copper Box Arena on March 17.

The Head Coaches for each team are selected based on the top-performing coaches in the North and South of the Women’s British Basketball League Championship.

Her opposite number is Stella Kaltisdou of London Lions.

With fan voting still open for another four weeks to confirm the starting fives, Ellis must wait before finalising a strategy to win the first-ever Women’s British Basketball League All-Star Game.

Once the North’s starting five is confirmed (voting closes on February 15), the Hatters coach will pick her reserves from the remaining players across the North clubs, with each club being represented within the roster.

The North clubs are: Caledonia Gladiators, Durham Palatinates, Manchester Giants, Seriös Group Newcastle Eagles, B. Braun Sheffield Hatters.

Ellis said: "It’s really exciting to be selected as the coach for the North All-Star team and coaching in the League’s first-ever Women’s All-Star Game. There is a lot of great talent amongst the North teams and I’m looking forward to being at the Copper Box on March 17 to be part of a great event with the roster.

The voting to select the starters has been great to follow so far and with the reserves I’ll be selecting next month, we’ll be looking to put a team together that can bring a win back home to the North with us.”