Is 2026 the year for the JT Lady Jaguars?

The JT Lady Jaguars finished 2nd and 3rd in 2025 and 2024 NBL seasons. Is 2026 the year they finally win their first NBL Championship?

Avitus Ngabirano

January 27, 2026

4–6 minutes

2026 NBL, JT Lady Jaguars

When you read the Bible in Mathew 7:7, it says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Verse 8 goes on, “For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

With this in mind, one asks, is this the 2026 the year for the JT Lady Jaguars?

The team has been knocking on the door since 2022 when they earned their promotion. Is this the year that the door will be opened unto them? The year that they may receive? The year that they will find?

In 2024, many thought that they wouldn’t go past the KCCA Leopards in the quarter-finals but they swept them and put up a fight against the eventual champions, the JKL lady Dolphins.

In 2025, the team lost just a single game in the first round but their energy trailed off slightly in the second round.

When it came to the playoffs, the goal was to go all the way and win the championship but the JKL Lady Dolphins were too much for them. They went on to lose the finals series 1-4.

The year 2026 could turn out to be a special year for the kira-based side but why is it the case?

In this article, I shall delve into some of the reasons why this season could be the one where the JT Lady Jaguars lift their first NBL championship.

Continuity

From the 2024 NBL season till now, the Lady Jaguars have managed to retain majority of their players. They have grown together as a unit and have also been able bond as a team. This team has been through the good and bad times together and this creates a strong bond and spirit of togetherness.

The players get to understand each other, their teammates’ strengths and weaknesses and most importantly build team chemistry.

In the last 2 seasons, the team has finished third and second respectively and you’d imagine that the players and management are saying to themselves, “We have to get the job done this year.”

Unrealized potential

The Lady Jaguars reached the finals but to be honest, most of the players did not play at the levels that we expected or have seen from them before.

Shakirah Nanvubya, Maimuna Nabbosa, Brenda Kayaga and Aziida Nabayunga did not perform at the levels that we have seen them reach in the previous years. Nonetheless, the overall team performance was good and that is a positive. It means that there a lot of players that can chip in here and there to make the team win.

Shakirah Nanvubya in action for the JT Lady Jaguars in the 2025 NBL season

Secondly, the team has a lot of unrealized potential and if it can be utilized, then the Lady Jaguars will be a force. For a moment, think about it. If Nanvubya played at her best, she’s the best point guard in the land. If Nabbosa, Aziida and Kayaga can knock down more shots consistently, then the team would have threats all over the perimeter.

Mercy Batamuliza has been working in order to elevate her game. There is a lot of unrealized potential there and if her skillset can improve just a little, she will be unstoppable.

Another player that has been putting in the work is Mary Priscillar Nambogo. Things haven’t worked out well for her with the Lady Jaguars but this is a player who, if she hits the ground running, could be sensational.

The Lady Jaguars have all these players who, if they can reach certain levels that we know they can, will be a very dangerous and an unstoppable team.

New signings

The Lady Jaguars signed two very important players in Bridget Aber and Amy Chan Grace.

Aber has a lot of experience, has won the Championship before and knows what is expected of her. She will be filling in the gaps that the Lady Jaguars had in the paint.

Having a person like Aber is good because it gives your team a new dimension in which they can play. She’s one that can repel any threats in the paint and that means, the players on the perimeter can force the opponents to come on the inside while knowing Aber will take care of business.

To make things even better, she has played with most of the players in this team and team chemistry will be easily achieved.

New JT Lady Jaguars signing Bridget Aber

Amy Chan Grace is a versatile player who can play multiple positions on the floor from number 2 to 5. She is tall and athletic, will guarantee the team rebounds, and she can shoot from distance. Her ability to drive to the basket is another big weapon in her arsenal.

Chan will be a backup player who may be used in multiple areas and systems. She will add a lot to the team.

Belief

“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The JT Lady Jaguars have to believe that they can go all the way. With the journey they have been on, this is the next step and if they hold onto the belief that this is their year, they will fight tooth and nail to achieve. If they have doubts, they might as well surrender now.

This year could be special and all the Lady Jaguars have to do is embrace the challenge. If their mentality is right from the start of the season, it could end up being an easy ride to the championship.