REG Women BBC and The Hoops Rwanda will meet in the opening game of the Rwanda Basketball League Women’s playoff final on Thursday evening, with statistics giving REG the edge ahead of the highly anticipated series.
The first game of the Cheetah Energy RBL Playoffs 2025/26 is scheduled for 7 p.m. at BK Arena. The two teams will battle in a best-of-seven series, with the first to win four games crowned champions.
REG, coached by Mukaneza Esperance, reached the final after eliminating APR Women BBC 3-2 in the semifinals. The Hoops, under coach Habiyambere Patrick, secured their place after defeating Kepler Women BBC 3-2.
Head-to-head history
REG Women BBC was established in September 2021 after acquiring Ubumwe Basketball Club, which was already competing in Rwanda’s top division. The partnership between the two sides ended in 2024, after which REG became fully owned by Rwanda Energy Group.
Since becoming REG, the team has won four league titles, including the two most recent championships in 2024 and 2025.
The Hoops Rwanda, meanwhile, was established in 2013 under a different name and began competing in the Rwanda Basketball League as The Hoops in 2015.
The club, initially established with a focus on developing young players, later evolved into a senior competitive team. It won its first league title in 2020 and finished as runners-up in 2019 and 2021.
Thursday’s final will be only the second time the two teams have met in a playoff final. Their first final meeting came in 2021, when REG won the best-of-three series 2-1 to claim its first league championship under the REG name.
Regular-season numbers favour REG
REG dominated the regular season, finishing top of the standings with 28 points from 14 games after winning every match.
The team scored 1,225 points and conceded 773, giving it a points differential of +452. REG averaged 87.5 points per game while conceding an average of 55.
The Hoops finished third with 24 points from 14 games, winning 10 and losing four.
They scored 936 points and conceded 857 for a points differential of +79, averaging 69 points per game while allowing 61.
REG also won both regular-season meetings between the teams convincingly. It defeated The Hoops 91-51 in the first encounter before securing an 84-53 victory in the second.
Those results give REG a clear statistical advantage heading into the final.
Playoff numbers
Both teams needed five games to reach the final, with each winning its respective semifinal series 3-2.
REG scored 413 points and conceded 397 across its five semifinal games, giving it a +16 differential. The team averaged 82 points per game and conceded 79.
The Hoops, meanwhile, scored and conceded exactly 262 points across their five games, leaving them with a neutral points differential. They averaged 52 points scored and 52 conceded per game.
Players to watch
REG will look to Washington Delicia Ty’Rae, who played a key role in the team’s semifinal victory and scored more than 17 points in each game of the series.
Other players expected to play important roles for REG include Coulibaly Kankou, Uwimphuhwe Henriette, Kiyobe Chantal and Maiga Kadidia.
The Hoops will rely on Feza Ebengo, who has scored 222 points for the team this season, as well as Cyuzuzo Rebecca, Mugisha Vivine Elisabeth and Ndaruhutse Atete Raissa.
Ndaruhutse was particularly influential in the semifinal series and will be among the players REG will need to contain.
With REG’s perfect regular-season record and strong scoring numbers on one side, and The Hoops’ resilience in the playoffs on the other, the final promises a competitive battle for the 2025/26 Rwanda Basketball League Women’s title.
