Isaac
Years ago

WNBL adds New Zealand franchise

Basketball NZ has been granted a WNBL license and will enter the Christchurch Wildcats from the 2007/08 season onwards.

Assuming its approved by FIBA, this means the WNBL will be expanded from eight teams to ten with the entrance of a Bendigo-based franchise this coming season also.

The Christchurch Wildcats will become the first professional women's team to contest an Australian league, following in the footsteps of male counterparts the Breakers (basketball), the Warriors (rugby league), the Knights (soccer), and the Stingrays (water polo).

More opportunities for players and increased diversity for what was a quite small eight-team league as well.

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DA VOICE
Years ago

The press release mentions that they are hoping the majority of the national team will make up the WNBL side. ???Angela Marino from Perth. ???Donna Loffhagen from Canberra (hasn't resigned with Capitals - maybe she knew something). Are there any other NZ players in the WNBL?

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Dr Damage
Years ago

This is terrific for the league and the competition in general.
The cost of running a franchise must have just gone up considerably.
3 rounds each at 27 games per season?
Or new format?
Dilutes the league a little, do we have the depth of talent to maintain the standards?

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Sector 7G
Years ago

I think we can sustain 10 teams. There's plenty of good bench players in the league that deserve more court time - just look at the Lightning team.

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Sween
Years ago

Somewhere is Oz there is a little town call Brisbane that should be mighty embarrassed. Surely they could muster up the bucks to get 12 chicks of standard to hit the pine in this comp too.

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Dr Damage
Years ago

Only 6 of eight teams are currently competitive!
Both Bendigo and Perth will still find it hard next year...specially if wilson plays for Dandenong.

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Anonymous
Years ago

Yep doc and of those 2 teams not competitive at least 1 of them is not just struggling on the court, i heard that perth will be able to field a team 07/08 but beyond that will struggle unless they can find some new backers.

Supposedly their biggest backer the government is looking to get out of their sponsorship of the team. They have told them that they have 1 year left and after that they are on their own.

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123abc
Years ago

This is great news for the WNBL

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