Oaklands Wolves basketball player and former Herts and Essex schoolgirl Caitlin Ryan ready for promotion push with GB

Basketball star and former Herts and Essex High School student Caitlin Ryan is hoping to help Great Britain gain promotion to the European Championship U-18 A Division when the team starts their campaign in Lithuania on Friday (July 4).

After missing the pre-tournament trip to Germany to take her A-levels, Ryan made her GB debut in last Wednesday’s 69-66 double overtime loss in Slovakia, scoring five points.

The following day saw the team lose 54-48 against Slovakia before the players moved on to Austria, where they recorded a pair of 12-point victories against the hosts.

Having played for England Schools in a 3x3 tournament last summer, Ryan will hope to play in her first competitive game for Britain when they face Croatia at 1.30pm (BST) on Friday.

The women then play Norway on Sunday morning before facing Bulgaria on Tuesday evening and Denmark 24 hours later.

The top two in the group progress to the quarter-finals, with both finalists and the bronze medal winners gaining promotion to the top flight for next season. With the core of the 2024 U-16 promotion side now moving up to the under-18 level, GB will be one of the tournament favourites.

Ryan, 17, who lives at Thorley Park, moved to St Albans to play for Oaklands Wolves at elite academy, British Super League and NBL Division Two level over the last two years.

She has successfully juggled A-levels and basketball during that time, winning the Student Athlete of the Year award at the 125-strong academy.