{"id":4970,"date":"2023-01-22T14:14:05","date_gmt":"2023-01-22T14:14:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/sport\/national-cup-reading-rockets-prepare-to-face-rivals-thames-valley-cavaliers-in-womens-final\/"},"modified":"2023-01-22T14:14:06","modified_gmt":"2023-01-22T14:14:06","slug":"national-cup-reading-rockets-prepare-to-face-rivals-thames-valley-cavaliers-in-womens-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/sport\/national-cup-reading-rockets-prepare-to-face-rivals-thames-valley-cavaliers-in-womens-final\/","title":{"rendered":"National Cup: Reading Rockets prepare to face rivals Thames Valley Cavaliers in women’s final"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n<\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/span>Reading Rockets guard Kristina Karpova will be making her third appearance in a National Cup final and looking for her first win<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
National Basketball League rivals Reading Rockets and Thames Valley Cavaliers will meet in the National Cup final in Manchester on Sunday.<\/span><\/p>\n
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The Division One teams have the same league points tally, with both just outside the second tier’s top three.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Thames Valley, who knocked Reading out of the cup last season, dominated two Division One sides to make the final.<\/span><\/p>\n
The Rockets had a tougher run of games to secure their spot, defeating three division rivals.<\/span><\/p>\n
“We haven’t played the Cavaliers yet this season so it’s going to be very interesting – they’re a very good team,” Rockets guard Kristina Karpova told BBC South Today.<\/span><\/p>\n
“We’ve had a great week of practice, everyone is excited but really focused and ready for the final.<\/span><\/p>\n
“All we want is to lift the trophy and bring it to Reading.”<\/span><\/p>\n
‘We are very prepared to face our opponents’<\/h3>\n
Karpova, a veteran of the UK basketball scene, is averaging almost 10 points per game this season.<\/span><\/p>\n
Sunday will be her third appearance in the final of the National Cup, which is England’s oldest running basketball competition.<\/span><\/p>\n
“Third time lucky is what I am going for,” Karpova added.<\/span><\/p>\n
“I was very nervous in the last finals because it was something new for me and there’s a lot of pressure.<\/span><\/p>\n
“I feel calmer about it now and that’s the mindset going into this weekend.<\/span><\/p>\n
“I’m a PE teacher and a bit of a mother figure for my pupils at school and it feels the same with the younger players on the Rockets.<\/span><\/p>\n
“I do like it and it’s a lot of pressure but we have more seniors on the team now and we all stick together and coach is great – we are very prepared this time.”<\/span><\/p>\n
The National Basketball Performance Centre in Manchester will host the women’s and men’s National Cup finals on Sunday – you can watch the games online for free <\/span>here<\/span>