Head Coach Karen Atkinson was in a very positive mood as she unveiled the 15 women who make up her long squad;
I am thrilled with the make-up of the squad this season. If you’d have told me in August that I would get the chance to coach this mix of players this year I don’t think I would have believed it. There are some unbelievably talented players within the squad and the combination of youth, rising Lightning stars and experienced campaigners is exciting.
The task that Olivia [Murphy] and I have is to ensure we get the best out of all of them and that they combine effectively on the court. We have real strength in depth so competition for places on the court will be high, which is exactly what you want in a performance environment.
Training has been going extremely well and the players have been working hard. We have a few more pre-season matches lined up to prepare the group further, starting with our Tri-Showdown against Team Bath and Team Northumbria on Saturday.
Of the announcement of Jade Clarke as her captain for the campaign ahead, Atkinson added:
It is an honour for Olivia and I to be able to work with Jade in a leadership capacity. We have such respect for her as a player, and the rest of the group definitely look up to her – she sets a fantastic example both on and off the court.
The new season starts on 30th January 2016.
