Helen Naylor proud to leave women's basketball in stronger place as she calls time on long Sheffield Hatters career

The 35-year-old joined Sheffield Hatters as an 18-year-old in 2005, back when joining a club or continuing your basketball education at an American college were the only options open to her.

As she leaves the game to spend more time with her family, the Doncastrian who went on to represent Great Britain’s senior team, is proud to see a sport that has more doors opening up for its younger protagonists.

"Women’s basketball has grown massively from when I started and changing the league from England Basketball to the WBBL in the middle of the last decade has helped,” says Naylor, who is the second highest scorer in the league’s history.

"At the time we were all thinking it would just be a name change to get in line with the men, but with it came more exposure, more media attention, and things have grown from there. The success of the women’s GB team has improved and helped, and over the last two years in particular with London entering the European leagues, that’s made everybody else aspire to not wanting to be hammered by London every week, we want to get up to the standard that they’re at. As a result teams are bringing in higher calibre players, they’re getting more funding, everyone is aspiring to be up there with London which is only going to grow the game further.”

And the knock-on effect is being felt throughout the women’s game with clubs developing academies that bridge the gap between junior and senior basketball.

"There are absolutely more opportunities for girls to stay at home and play, there’s more academy teams across the country. They’re not all linked to WBBL teams, but some are,” she offers.

"You don’t have to go to America if you don’t want to, there’s more pathways for boys and girls to go into Europe – that wasn’t available when I was 18, it was university here or America. There were no academies to link into. In terms of where it was in 2005 to where it is now women’s basketball has grown massively, but there’s still a long way to go.”

In 18 years of top-tier basketball in this country, 16 of those with the Hatters, Naylor won everything there is to win: six league titles, six play-off titles, six cup wins and two trophies.

"I’m proud of my career, I’m happy with everthing I’ve achieved," says Naylor, who began playing with her family at Doncaster Panthers.

"I went through the junior ranks with England, Under-20s with GB twice, winning a bronze medal for them, went to the World Student Games, played for the senior GB team.

"When I look back on the amount of trophies that we’ve won at Hatters, big finals we’ve played in, a lot of people who have played for clubs in England haven’t experienced as much as those of us who have been at Hatters for so long.

"I feel grateful for those experiences. I think I’ve had a good career and I feel happy and proud.”

Of the decision to retire, she says: "I just think it’s time. I toyed with the idea at the end of last season but wasn’t quite ready.

"I felt ready this season, it’s time to step away from the WBBL now, because of my age, family reasons."

She will continue playing at a regional level for the Hatters team in Division II of the English league, and may eventually move into coaching.

"I’d like to give back to the Hatters because they’ve given a lot to me over the years.”