The 2026 NBL first round ended on Sunday 12th April at the YMCA. After 132 men and women’s games, there have been a couple of phenomenal individual and team performances.

From those, there have been some outstanding players and in this article, senior writer Avitus Ngabirano names his top 5 women’s MVP candidates as things stand.

Tracy Namugosa

The most consistent performer in the season has been Tracy Namugosa. Without her, the KCCA Leopards wouldn’t be where they are but since she’s there, they currently sit in the number 3 place. Namugosa scored 20+ points in 8 of the 11 games and leads the scoring charts with 227 points (20.6 ppg).

Additionally, she has 5.45 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.4 steals. Tracy is also very efficient in scoring as she lead the league in 2P% with 57.1% and fourth in Field Goal efficiency with 43.2%.

Tracy Namugosa was the first person to score 30+ in a game this season and she’s the only player to have scored 30+ points in multiple games this season.

Sharon Kirabo

The 4-7 record that the KIU Rangers have does not depict how good Sharon Kirabo has been this season. When you talk about the KIU Rangers, only two players come to mind; Sharon Kirabo and Ines Kanyamuneza.

However, the former has played even better than she did in 2025 but the overall team performance has been subpar.

Kirabo is the one of the few players who average a double-double with 14.9 points and 12.4 rebounds. She has scored 10+ points in 8 of the 11 games, with 20+ on 3 occasions.

Despite Kirabo playing very well for the Rangers, her and Ines need help lest the will be stuck in an abyss. If Kirabo moved to any team, she would immensely raise their ceiling.

Auma Joy

The U18 youngster has been one of the heavily utilized players having played all the 11 games with an average of 36 minutes. She has also been one of the most productive players, averaging a 14.9 points, 10.8 rebounds double-double.

Despite being undersized for her position, Joy has taken on the center position with pride and has been able to defend (very well) players bigger than her.

Currently, the overall team record (2-9) does depict the impact that she has had in the league but if she wasn’t in this Nabisunsa squad, things could have been worse for them. Nonetheless, Nabisunsa hope to stay in the league and if that is to happen, Auma has to elevate her game even more. She is that important.

Martina Anyango

Martina Anyango was one of the most talked about names in the 2025 playoffs and rightfully so. She is arguably the most skilled forward in the NBL now and what is scary is that she’s still improving.

The Lady Canons have the best record in the league and Anyango has been a significant contributor to the team’s success. Despite playing just 24 minutes per game, Anyango averages 11.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1 steal. She is also the most efficient scorer in the NBL with 51.65% (the only player above 50%).

In the second round and the playoffs, Anyango is expected to play more and her production will increase. As things stand, she is the most important player for the UCU Lady Canons in their pursuit for the NBL Championship.

Stella Marris Lunkuse

Lunkuse is one of the most used and hardworking players in the league. She played all the 11 first round games but in some of them, she was ill. At some point, she had been on medication but still suited up and played 30+ minutes. That is how much the UPDF Lady Tomahawks needed her.

Against the JKL Lady Dolphins, she registered a 16 points and 15 rebounds double-double. That is a testament of how good she is and what she can be able to produce for them.

Lunkuse is one of the few players to average a double-double with 11.5 points and 10.45 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.9 steals.

Stella Marris has always been one of the top performers and she delivers for her team all the time. Without her, the UPDF Lady Tomahawks wouldn’t be a number 5 seed, a position they currently occupy.

The second round of the NBL is expected to tip-off on 24th April and the competition for the MVP will get more fierce.