Michelle plays for Killester where she has come up through the ranks and is currently serving as captain. She has also captained Ireland at U16 and was part of the Senior Women’s team who won silver at the FIBA Women's European Championship for Small Countries in Gibraltar in 2016 and in Cyprus in 2021.
Hannah Thornton is a DCU Mercy Super League player and captain, with whom she won the 2019/20 Super League title. She attended the University of Northern Colorado, a D1 school for college basketball. Thornton played underage club basketball for Killester basketball club. She has represented Ireland in underage basketball from U16-U18 and has been playing senior international basketball since 2018, winning a silver medal at the 2021 FIBA Women’s European Championship for Small Countries.
Edel Thornton plays for Singleton SuperValu Brunell in the MissQuote.ie Super League. She played with the club from academy to U20 and Super League, before leaving to go to college in the United States. Edel played NCAA Division 1 basketball with Quinnipiac University for four years, before graduating and returning to Ireland. Edel joined Trinity Meteors when she came back to Ireland and played there for two years, helping them secure promotion to the Super League in 2020. Edel captained Ireland U18’s and just finished her second senior campaign, winning a silver medal at the 2021 FIBA Women’s European Championship for Small Countries.
Gráinne Dwyer plays for MissQuote.ie Super League side Fr. Mathews. She was previously with Waterford Wildcats and Glanmire in a 17-year Super League career, during which she has won six National Cup’s and seven league titles. Dwyer made her senior international debut at 17 in 2003 and is one of Ireland’s most capped players. She is a two-time silver medallist at the FIBA Women’s European Championship for Small Countries, in 2016 and 2021. She is a 3x3 international, featuring in the 2021 FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup qualifiers in Constanta Romania. She has also represented Ireland in 3x3 in 2019, 2017 and at the 2015 European Games in Baku, when Ireland finished an impressive 8th overall.
Sarah Kenny plays with Trinity Meteors in the Super League. She trained with the Irish squad in the summer of 2021, but wasn’t included in the final squad for the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries. She was named in the 12-person squad for the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2023 Qualifiers in November and made her senior international debut against the Netherlands on November 11th. She has also previously been capped at underage level.
Anna Kelly plays with Belgian side Spirou Ladies Charleroi. Kelly has previously been capped by Ireland, but missed the FIBA Women’s European Championship for Small Countries in Cyprus in summer 2021, before returning for the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2023 Qualifiers. She played for Ireland in the U20 European Championships in 2017. She also played in the USA, at Fordham University.
Áine O’Connor plays in the Super League for Leixlip Amenities Liffey Celtics. She has represented Ireland at U18, 3x3 and senior level. She has won silver medals at the 2016 and 2021 FIBA Women’s European Championship for Small Countries.
Claire Melia signed to play with Trinity Meteors in the MissQuote.ie Super League for the 2022/23 season. Prior to this she played with The Address UCC Glanmire, where she won the treble in the 2021/22 season - the MissQuote.ie Super League, InsureMyHouse.ie Paudie O'Connor National Cup and MissQuote.ie Champions Trophy. She was also named 2021/22 Women's Super League player of the Year. She also played for Portlaoise Panthers, with whom she won the Division One National Cup in 2020. She also spent time in NCAA basketball with St. Joesph’s in Philadelphia. Internationally, Melia won a silver and bronze medal at the U18 and U20 European Championships in 2017 and 2019 respectively. She also won a silver medal at the 2021 FIBA Women’s European Championship for Small Countries, in Cyprus. Melia has made the All-Star 5 at the U18 and U20 European Championships and at at the 2021 FIBA Women’s European Championship for Small Countries.
Dayna Finn plays for Trinity Meteors in the MissQuote Super League. She started her club career with Maree BC, from underage and played for the club at Division 1 and Super League level. She has represented Ireland at U16, U18, U20 and senior level. She won a silver medal at the FIBA U18 European Championship in 2017 and a bronze at the FIBA U20 European Championship in 2019. She made her senior debut at the 2021 FIBA Women’s European Championship for Small Countries, winning a silver medal in Cyprus. Finn also plays senior inter-county Gaelic Football with Mayo.
Connecticut-born Maura Fitzpatrick qualifies for Ireland through her Sligo Roots. She plays in the WBBL for Gloucester City Queens. Fitzpatrick was called up by head coach James Weldon for the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2023 Qualifiers and made her debut against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on November 11th. She is Brian Fitzpatrick's sister, who played with the senior men’s team.
Rachel plays in the Super League with DCU Mercy, having moved from her local club, Dunshaughlin Rockets, while still underage. She has represented Ireland at U16, U18 and U20 level, winning the silver the FIBA U18 European Championships in 2017, and bronze FIBA U20 Women’s European Championships Division B in 2019. She also won a silver medal at the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries in 2021 in Cyprus.
Sorcha plays in the Super League with her hometown club Leixlip Amenties Liffey Celtics. She has represented Ireland at U16, U18 and U20 level, winning the silver the FIBA U18 European Championships in 2017, and bronze FIBA U20 Women’s European Championships Division B in 2019. She also won a silver medal at the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries in 2021.
Fiona O’Dwyer played NCAA basketball at Emmanuel College. She moved to UK after college to play professionally, spending a number of years with Leeds and Newcastle. She has also played in Spain (Division 1 and Division 2) and Iceland. Internationally she won a silver medal at the 2021 FIBA Women’s European Championship for Small Countries in Cyprus. She has also represented Ireland in 3x3, competing at the 2021 FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup qualifiers in Constanta Romania. She has also represented Ireland in 3x3 in 2019 and 2017.
Áine McKenna plays for Super League side The Address UCC Glanmire. She has won two silver medals at senior international level at the 2021 and 2016 FIBA Women’s European Championship for Small Countries. She has also represented Ireland at U16 and U18 level.
Claire Rockall plays for The Address UCC Glanmire. She has also played for Maree. She is a seven-time National Cup winner, winning it four times at Super League level, along with one each at Division 1, U20 and U18 level. She has represented Ireland at U16 and U18 level, captaining the U18’s in 2008. She is a two-time silver medallist at the FIBA Women’s European Championship for Small Countries, in 2016 and 2021. She is also a 3x3 international and was recently part of the Ireland team that competed at the 2021 FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup qualifiers in Constanta, Romania. She also played for Ireland’s 3x3 team in 2017 and 2019.
Appointed Ireland senior women’s head coach in November 2018, taking over in January 2019. Led Irish senior women to a silver medal at the 2021 FIBA Women’s European Championship for Small Countries. He has also worked as an assistant with the senior international team in between 2003 and 2006. He was Ireland U18 women’s assistant coach in 2001 and head coach in 2005, 2007 and 2013. He also worked as an assistant coach at the World Student Games in 2003 (South Korea) and 2005 (Turkey). Weldon is a three-time Super League coach of the year. He won nine national titles with UL Huskies in a four-year period. He also set up a women’s Super League team in Killarney and took them to 3rd place in their first season and 2nd in their second season. He also won a national title with KCYMS men’s team.
Jillian Hayes was appointed as assistant coach to the Irish senior women’s team in February 2019. Hayes was head coach of Super League side WIT Waterford Wildcats for three years from 2018/19 until 2020/21. She will be coaching the club’s U18’s for the 2021/22 season. She has won one U16 All-Ireland in 2018 as a head coach, and was assistant coach when the club won the U20 National Cup in 2020. In 2018 Hayes was named Underage Coach of the Year. She played for Waterford Wildcats from U12 up to senior level, winning six leagues, three cups and four championships at senior level and also one U19 Cup. Hayes was named Irish Junior Player of the Year twice, and Senior Player of the Year four times. Internationally, she represented Ireland at U15, U17, U19 and senior levels.
Ioannis Liapakis joined up with James Weldon’s backroom team for the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2023 Qualifiers. He is the current head coach of Leixlip Amenities Liffey Celtics in the MissQuote.ie Super League. Ioannis is a former Super League winning coach with UCD Marian and was a bronze medal winning coach with the Irish senior men’s team in 2018.
