During the 2025 NBL, the UCU Lady Canons were red-hot in the second round and had a good playoff run which culminated in them finishing in third place.

In the first round, the team did not look like they were good enough to challenge for the title but something was different about them in the second.

It was as though they had grown as the season progressed and they peaked at the right time.

In their semi-finals series against the eventual winners, the JKL lady Dolphins, UCU put up a big challenge and they came very close to eliminating them.

However, the Dolphins managed to prevail, mainly dependant on their experience and individual brilliance.

Coming into the 2026 NBL season, the UCU Lady Canons have let go of Bridget Aber, Millicent Otieno, Divine Ezeofor and Edith Muhawe. Edith and Divine barely played while Millicent and Aber were veterans in the team.

During the 2025 season, the reliance on Bridget Aber significantly reduced and we saw the combination of Martina Anyango and Sylivia Nantongo in the four and five positions more.

Millicent also came off the bench more and one can say that she won’t be a very big miss.

Is UCU equipped enough to challenge for the NBL title?

Winning the NBL Championship is easier said than done but the Lady Canons showed us a glimpse of what they are capable of.

Shillah Lamunu, Martina Anyango, Sylivia Nakituuka and Sylivia Nantongo have matured so much in their basketball over the last two seasons.

That quartet is expected to be the core of this team together with Zoe Atek who was a revelation in the 2025 season.

With a lot youthfulness, hunger and desire on their side, the lady Canons have a chance to become a team that can dominate.

There is no other team that has multiple players who are just entering their prime like UCU has.

These players are also capable of playing a lot of minutes. We saw Shillah Lamunu play heavy minutes in the 2025 season and that is because she and most of her teammates are conditioned enough to take it.

However, UCU got a solution for their back-up point guard conundrum. The Lady Canons got the services of Mariam Namukwaya from the Miracle Eaglets and this is a player that will come in to reduce the load on Shillah’s back.

Mariam can help control the game but most importantly, she get baskets for you. That will be a very aspect of her game that UCU will use.

Where could it all go wrong?

UCU has Martina and Nantongo but they do not have another center who has proven that they can help a team win it all.

Sarah Namale was a top player while in Nabisunsa and when she crossed to UCU, many thought she would work instantly but that hasn’t been the case.

She has struggled a lot on offense even the defensive end. Her ability to block seemed to have disappeared and she looks to be frail.

However, given that she is in a competitive environment with some of the top talent, there is a likelihood that she will do more conditioning and put in the work on the court. Hopefully she can get her mojo back.

If UCU is to go all the way, Sarah has to perform. She’s the tallest on the team and can be able to give them a different dimension in which to play. Also, she may be the difference for them on the defensive end.

Leadership

Najjuko Hajara is now the veteran of the team. Given that she was a part of the team that won the 2022 NBL, having come from down 0-3 to win 4-3, she has championship experience.

Najjuko has to help guide some of the players on what to do in order to have that winning mind-set. She will be a very key figure in this team.

How will the other players impact?

UCU has a lot of talent and being selected to play in the NBL is a big step. Players like Bridget Kauma, Mariam Asacha, Sharifah Nalwadda, Ayaa Gladys and Maria Awidi were on the roster in 2025 but barely got time to play.

When an opportunity falls in their hands, they have to make sure to prove to the coach that they belong.

This first round will be very key because if you think about it, almost everyone has had an opportunity to prove themselves and those who has embraced it have been rewarded.

Zoe Atek had to prove herself in 2025, Nakituuka, Anyango, and Nantongo proved themselves in 2024 while Shillah Lamunu did that in 2023 and 2024.

This year will be a very interesting year for the UCU Lady Canons and they have a very big opportunity to win the NBL Championship.

The question is, can they be able to win it?