WNBL to play condensed season in north Queensland before Christmas
The WNBL will play a condensed, six-week season in North Queensland, tipping off in November and finishing before Christmas.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was expected to announce the deal on Friday morning. Her government’s decision to host the season may prove vital to the Australian Opals' hopes of winning a gold medal at next year's Tokyo Olympics, given many of the national team will be playing including Liz Cambage who has signed with Southside Flyers.
Australian Opals centre Liz Cambage will return to the WNBL with Southside Flyers, with the competition to be held in Queensland.Credit:Simon Schluter
Townsville will host 32 games, including the finals series, while Cairns will host 20 games and Mackay eight games with the season to tip-off on November 12 and finish with a grand final on December 20.
The eight WNBL sides will play 14 games each with the top four making the finals which will involve a qualification semi-final and elimination semi-final, a preliminary final and the grand final.
The WNBL has made several changes to its format and rules to make sure the league can complete its 42nd season with teams playing fewer games than usual, having no imports and sacrificing the best-of-three semi-final and grand final series.
Sources have told The Age and Sydney Morning Herald that the league hopes to have games on both free-to-air and pay television as its season will come at a time when there is little Australian sport beyond cricket and the remaining games of the Rugby Championship.
A season schedule and broadcast deals are still to be announced.
Teams and officials from "hot spot" areas will need to quarantine in Brisbane later this month before heading to north Queensland to begin the season, with Nissan Arena to be made available for players and referees to train in while quarantining.
Townsville will use both its entertainment centre and Townsville Stadium, the regular home of WNBL club Townsville Fire, while Cairns will use its "pop-up" stadium, based at an old Bunnings building, which was used for Super Netball this year and was created for NBL club Cairns Taipans as the Cairns Entertainment Centre is being refurbished.
Mackay Basketball Stadium will host Mackay's games.
The Queensland government and WNBL commission have been working together for weeks to finalise the complex and costly deal. It was unlikely a season would have happened without Queensland stepping up to host.
"Major events are an important part of my government’s strategy to continue rebuilding and growing our economy and to support local jobs," Palaszczuk said.
"The tourism and events sectors throughout our state have done it tough this year.
"Major sporting events pump millions of dollars into local businesses. Securing the WNBL is a great win for the whole of north Queensland and a dream come true for basketball fans in the region."
Basketball Australia chief executive Jerril Rechter praised the work of the government, WNBA commission and club bosses in finding a way to arrange the complex season.
"Basketball Australia has been working in partnership with the eight club owners via their participation and collaboration on the WNBL Commission since the beginning of the pandemic," Rechter said.
"We all agreed it was critical to deliver the season and ensure the league puts a much-needed smile on the face of our fans and members, maintains the growth of women's basketball throughout Australia, and continues to inspire future generations of players, coaches and officials.
"All of this as basketball finds itself on the doorstep of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics where the Australian Opals are eyeing glory again and, just 12 months later, the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup will be hosted by Sydney."