East London Phoenix
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The British Wheelchair Basketball Women's Premier League is first of its kind for women's wheelchair basketball in the world, and the very first professional para-sport league in the UK. The East London Phoenix is one of British WheelChair Basketballs High-Performance Partnerships, and we are one of four universities to be the home of a women's premier league team.
The East London Phoenix Women's Premier league team is the University of East London's first sporting franchise in its history. It marks another statement of intent for a programme that over the past decade has come from sporting newcomer, to one of the leading dual career universities in the UK.
The franchise team will be no different. It will do this by offering opportunities for its players and students to develop skills on and off the court, all possible by being a student led franchise. It's your opportunity to be the next role model in the lives of those in the community and help to shape the next generation.
We are now scouting for exceptional female wheelchair basketball athletes; it is your chance to join the East London Phoenix family. Please check out our video below that has been created by students at the University of East London.
Player profiles
Amy Conroy
Having made her international debut as a teenager in 2010, Amy Conroy has since been a regular feature in the national sides and will look to lead the Phoenix in their debut season. A 4.0 classification player, Amy makes the move down to London and is looking forward to her new challenges on and off the court after previously playing for Leicester Cobras.
The 29-year-old brings a wealth of experience with her, winning six international medals including the 2015 U25 World Championships, where she was named the tournament's most valuable player (MVP). Off the court, Amy studied social psychology at Loughborough University and in April 2021 she joined the workplace wellbeing platform Champion Health as an ambassador, with the remit of "making all areas of wellbeing inclusive and accessible"
Beth Wheeler
A 3.0 classification player, Beth was introduced to wheelchair basketball at the end of 2014 in a taster session at her college and cites her U25 World Championship GB squad selection as the proudest moment of her sporting career to-date.
The 25-year-old was also included in the GB training squad for the 2020 Paralympic Games. Having grown up in Southend, Beth moved to London to study Occupational Therapy at Brunel University with the hope that she can help inspire children to find their own passions in life.
Charlotte Thornton White
A 1.0 classification player, Charlotte will need no introduction to the team's facilities having studied her undergraduate degree at the University of East London. She was part of the wheelchair side that finished 3rd in the 2019-2020 University Championship and will be playing for the Phoenix alongside her commitments with the Aces Wheelchair Basketball Club. The 23-year-old will also be featuring while she continue her studies, undertaking a masters in Human and Applied Physiology at King's College London.
Evelyn Roberts
Evelyn Roberts spent time with the GB U25 squad before focusing on finishing her degree at the University of Worcester. The 24-year-old is a 2.5 classification and will be one of eight players to play for the Phoenix. Having initially been discouraged from playing sport, Evelyn wants to inspire others in a similar position and returns to wheelchair basketball after some time aside from the game. Evelyn was 12 when she was told to give wheelchair basketball a go by someone visiting her school and playing for the East London Phoenix will mark a welcome return for her in the sport.
Freya Levy
A wheelchair basketball athlete for ten years now, Freya has also been part of the Great Britain Pathway since 2012 and was a member of the U25 team that won the squad's first European Gold medal. The 25-year-old is a 1.0 classification player and is looking forward to playing for the Phoenix and inspiring a new audience for the sport. A multi-talented athlete, Freya was a county-level football and rugby union player prior to being diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Since then, she has competed at international level in wheelchair basketball, para ice hockey and wheelchair rugby league.
Nik Terrell
Nik is currently part of the Glasgow Lady Rocks, for which she captained last season, and was set to attend her first GB pathway session before the pandemic. She will balance playing for the Phoenix alongside living in Edinburgh and it is hoped that the weekly journey down to London will help her aim to provide competition within the Scotland squad ahead of the Commonwealth Games. The 27-year-old is currently a 4.0 classification athlete, although this is currently under review in line with her international aspirations.
Fi Tillman
Fi had already amassed a great deal of success in the running game having represented the South East and Central England Women's Basketball Team (1996) and captained the University of Brighton to a highly coveted spot in three National Finals of the British Universities Sports Association Basketball League (1994, 1996, 1997).
The 47-year-old has continued to achieve in wheelchair basketball following a serious road accident, with highlights including playing for the London Titans Premier League team and winning internationally with Team GB.
Off court Fi is a devoted auntie, a published writer, a lover of all things sparkly and an avid believer in living a life centred firmly around the notion of kindness (as well as proving that age is simply a number)
Curran Brown
Curran was introduced to wheelchair basketball in her pre-teen years and played the sport alongside studying Kinesiology at the University of Illinois in the United States.
The 26-year-old stated she had always wanted to explore beyond the American borders and decided to move to London given the excitement and buzz that surrounds the city.
Curran will feature for the Phoenix alongside pursuing a Master's degree in Occupational Therapy and enjoys live music and appreciating art when she's not on the court.
Alice Conroy
Alice gained an interest wheelchair basketball after supporting her sister Amy for the last 12 years.
Having played for the University of Nottingham, she joined the Brixton Ballers when moving to London and the East London Phoenix will mark Alice's first stint in the top-flight game.
The 26-year-old works as an oncology nurse and also recently ran her own 6-week course of wheelchair basketball sessions through the BWB Inspire a Generation initiative.
Alice McHaffie
Alice started her wheelchair basketball career at York Sharks and won a bronze medal on her regional debut playing up for Yorkshire Under 15s.
The 17-year-old has since won gold at the 2021 School Games with England North while balancing her studies in Health and Social Care .
Alice is also studying a diploma in Sporting Excellence and has a claim to fame of being on Blue Peter!
Emily Branthwaite
The youngest member of the Phoenix, Emily played regional wheelchair basketball aged just 11 in the U15 category having started at Cumbria Wheelchair Sports Club.
The 16-year-old made her National League debut this season and has since featured for Lancaster Bulldogs and Wakefield Whirlwinds.
Emily still resides in Cumbria where she is studying Construction, Engineering and Business at Energy Coast UTC.