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JT Lady Jaguars and UCU Lady Canons lead the way after Round One: 2026 NBL
By Avitas Ngabirano
The JT Lady Jaguars and UCU Lady Canons share the lead after Round One of the 2026 National Basketball League women’s competition, with both sides posting 10-1 records.The first round wrapped up on 12 April at YMCA after 66 games, with the JT Lady Jaguars closing out as the number one seed. They dismantled the Angels 80-22 in their final outing to seal top spot. Their only defeat came against defending champions JKL Lady Dolphins. The Jaguars boast the league’s best defense, conceding just 41 points per game, and rank second in offense with 69.8 points per game.UCU Lady Canons sit second, level on record with the Jaguars.
The Lady Canons won their opening eight games before falling to the Jaguars. They hold the second-best defensive record and rank fourth in scoring.
Leopards are third at 9-2 under coaches Tonny Drileba and Ben Komakech. Losses to both the Jaguars and Canons exposed their offense, where they managed only 28 and 34 points respectively. Guard Tracy Namugosa has starred, scoring 20+ points in eight of 11 games and leading the league with 227 points, 20.6 per game.
JKL Lady Dolphins hold fourth with an 8-3 record. After losing their opener to KCCA, they won eight straight before dropping their last two games due to player availability issues. With only six players available in their last three outings, they went 1-2 but still lead the league in scoring at 73 points per game
UPDF Lady Tomahawks are fifth at 5-6, boosted by a 72-55 win over JKL to end the round. Stella Marris Lunkuse is averaging a double-double with 11.5 points and 10.5 rebounds as UPDF push for a higher finish than their back-to-back eighth-place seasons.Newly promoted Pearl Queens also sit at 5-6 in sixth, though scoring remains a concern with the league’s second-worst offense at 50 points per game.
The 2025 semi-finalists Magic Stormers are seventh with a 5-6 record after recovering from a 1-5 start, highlighted by a 21-point comeback win over KIU Rangers.The KIU Rangers have struggled to a 4-7 record in eighth. Finalists in 2023, they now face a potential playoff miss if form does not improve. Victoria She Crocs are ninth at 4-7 after losing four of their last five.
Miracle Eaglets are tenth with a 3-8 record, despite a 52-40 upset of KIU Rangers that eased relegation fears. Nabisunsa sit eleventh at 2-9. They beat the Eaglets 97-69 but suffered a costly 73-72 loss to the Angels before rebounding with a 59-49 win over Pearl Queens in their last game.Angels prop up the table at 1-10, with their lone 73-72 victory over Nabisunsa offering hope. They will likely need five or more wins in Round Two to avoid relegation.
Round Two tips off on 24 April, with several teams expected to make signings before the restart.
