Sheffield Sharks land big piece of recruitment puzzle with first move

The 6ft 8in American forward with a point guard’s ball-handling skill was the player Atiba Lyons built a successful team around in the 2024-25 campaign.

His ability to get from one end of the court quickly and powerfully made him the centrepiece of a team that flourished and ended the club’s nine-year trophy drought.

Clay informed them early last summer he would be moving onto pastures new in Japan for the following season, but Lyons and his recruitment team spent the rest of that off-season and pretty much all the campaign chasing but never finding a replacement for a man he named as his player of the year.

“If you know where to find a Donovan Clay, give me a call,” he occasionally quipped.

So it is little surprise, and will be of great relief to Lyons, that the first signing Sharks have announced for the forthcoming 2026-27 SLB season is Clay.

The 25-year-old returns having averaged 13.1 points and 7.8 rebounds in Japan, similar numbers to those he put up first time around in Sheffield.

“I have such great memories from my first spell at the club,” said Clay, from Illinois.

“Atiba, the coaching staff and the management at the Sharks are a big factor in my decision

to return; the belief they have shown in me and their plans for the season made it an easy

choice to make.

“Of course, playing in front of the amazing Sharks fans at the Canon Medical Arena will be special to experience again and I can’t wait to get the season started.”

Lyons said: “Donovan had a fantastic season with us in 2024-25 and his efforts were rewarded with the MVP honours in the Cup final.

“He is a player who understands what I expect from my team and what it means to play for this club. He had another strong season in Japan and returns to us even more experienced.”