Sports · Basketball · 1 hr ago
WNBL starts new season with Tasmania team and international signings
Australia’s WNBL begins its 47th season on Thursday night, its second under private ownership.
The league is hoping to build on last season, when crowds rose 43 per cent and broadcast reach grew 130 per cent.
The ownership change brought a restructure that made CEO Jennie Sager redundant, while retired Australian star Lauren Jackson now holds a senior role in strategy and basketball partnerships.
Jackson says the goal is to make the league sustainable and give young women more opportunities; a recent agreement gave players a 104 per cent increase in minimum wages.
The new Tasmania Jewels will host Geelong in Hobart in the season’s first game.
Chinese national team players and WNBA players are also joining teams, as the league seeks to attract new audiences and strengthen its place in the Asia-Pacific region.
The WNBL is starting its second season under private ownership, with a new Tasmania team and international players among the changes.
The Tasmania Jewels will host the Geelong Venom in Hobart in the season’s opening game.
Last season, crowd figures rose 43 per cent and broadcast reach increased 130 per cent.
Chinese national team players have signed with the Canberra Capitals and Southside Flyers, while Han Xu is returning to Geelong.
Retired Opals star Lauren Jackson has a key role in the league’s 2026/27 leadership model.
- Who
- The Women’s National Basketball League and its teams, including the new Tasmania Jewels.
- What
- The WNBL is starting a new season, its second under private ownership.
- When
- Thursday night; the article was published on October 13, 2026.
- Where
- The opening game will be in Hobart, where the Tasmania Jewels will host the Geelong Venom.
- Why
- The league hopes to build on recent growth and attract new audiences, including through international signings.
Jennie Sager
Lauren Jackson and the WNBL’s private owners
Leadership
Jennie Sager
Sager argued women’s leagues are strongest with dedicated leadership and staff focused solely on them.
Lauren Jackson and the WNBL’s private owners
Jackson said private ownership had been important to the league’s growth and new phase.
Crowd figures rose 43 per cent and broadcast reach increased 130 per cent.
The WNBL made CEO Jennie Sager redundant in a restructure intended to bring the men’s and women’s codes under one umbrella.
Lauren Jackson took a key role as Chief Strategy and Basketball Partnerships Officer.
The WNBL season is due to begin with the Tasmania Jewels hosting the Geelong Venom in Hobart.
- WNBL edition
- 47th
- Tasmania Jewels
- New franchise; opening game in Hobart
- Opening opponent
- Geelong Venom
- Crowd figures
- Up 43 per cent last season
- Broadcast reach
- Up 130 per cent last season
- Minimum wages
- Increased 104 per cent under the latest collective bargaining agreement
What people are saying
genuinely disappointing
Being privatised has been super important for the league in the way we are growing and going through a new phase
It has been a long time coming, but it's very exciting.
It's really exciting, it has become a global game; we have some unreal American imports and then we have the Chinese coming in, it's just so cool to have players from all different areas, and for the game to be developing
Sources
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