Jo Leedham says her recent French league title success has capped the best year of her professional playing career so far.
Leedham, from Ellesmere Port, played a pivotal role for her club Tango Bourges Basket as they enjoyed stunning success domestically, claiming the LFB title after winning 25 of their 26 games, losing just once.
The 27-year-old, who represented Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics, also enjoyed a run to the quarter-finals of the EuroLeague competition, Europe's premier womens' basketball competition, where Bourges were eventually edged out by Russian side Dynamo Kursk.
For Leedham, though, her domestic success with Bourges, aligned with a season that has seen her free of injury, have resulted in a campaign to savour for the Chester-born small forward, who averaged 11.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in the league.
"It's been a really good season for me and the first one that I've had where I've been injury free and been able to complete the whole season," said Leedham, who graduated from American college Franklin Pierce in 2010 holding he record of highest points scorer in NCAA Division II history with 3,050 points.
"We won the league title and had a good run in the EuroLeague. It's also definitely the best year that I've had statistically as a player and I've felt really good about my game and really comfortable this season."
Leedham, who has opted out of the upcoming EuroBasket tournament with Great Britain so as to avoid burnout, has been dogged by injury problems in recent seasons that have limited her time on court. But after such a productive season in France, Leedham insists her focus has to be on ensuring her body is able to cope with the rigours of the professional game.
"At the end of last season I took three months off just to spend time on me, see the world a bit and see my family and friends," said Leedham.
"That really helped me this season. When I came back into training for this season I was really refreshed and excited for the challenge.
"But after the season I'm really burned out. After games I just lie in bed and I'm exhausted and I get a lot of pain in my knee, which I have done for a while. That's why I've opted out of playing for Great Britain at EuroBasket.
"It is the best thing for me to ensure I rest up during the off season. Some people couldn't understand my decision and didn't get why I was pulling out but that doesn't really bother me. I'm at a big moment in my career, playing some of the best basketball I ever have and my career is now in Europe so I have to do whatever it takes to ensure it's for as long as possible."
For Leedham, whose professional career thus far has seen her take in spells in Poland with Gorzow Wielkopolski, and Australia with the Bulleen Boomers, next season will see her remain with the title-winning Bourges side after she agreed an extension with the club with whom she has plied her trade for the past two years.
"I'm comfortable here at the moment and I'm enjoying myself," said Leedham, a former pupil at Ellesmere Port Catholic High, who scooped British Basketball's Athlete of the Year award in 2009 and 2014.
"I'm at a team which likes to keep the core group together and doesn't have a huge turnover of players. I could have gone somewhere else for more money but I am happy here and I'm enjoying my basketball. That's more important than anything else to me."
