WNBL plans full season

A SEASON structure has been locked in for the 2020/21 WNBL, with a full contingent of games to be completed.

Basketball Australia announced the full 21-round competition would go ahead for the upcoming campaign, albeit at a later start date than normal.

Tip-off for round one will go ahead on November 20 with the final round to be contested from March 25.

The semi-final series will take place from March 12 to 21, with the grand final series between March 25 and 31.

Part of the later start date has come from a desire to enable fans to attend fixtures, which will be subject to state governments easing restrictions as the year goes on.

For Townsville Fire general manager Sam Pascoe, the chance to complete an entire season carries extra weight as the club enters its 20th year in the WNBL.

She said having clarity regarding when they could next take to the court would be a blessing for the players as they now had a goal to work towards.

“I think we’re really lucky, we have the highest membership numbers in the league,” Pascoe said.

“We play for our region and for this town so I think for us that’s extremely important that we give ourselves every opportunity and work within the instruction of government entire to get our fans and members watching the Fire play.

“We’ve made sure we’re keeping constant contact with our players numerous times a week. It’s really important to have that clarity and know this is our priority, to get next season ready to go.”

With revenue set to be impacted by COVID-19 restrictions, a priority for Basketball Australia when confirming the financial model and season structure was to ensure the number of regular season games was not reduced and the current minimum player payment for Australian athletes was maintained.

And with an Olympic Games campaign on the horizon, the ability to push for selection and be at the peak of their powers will be important to the nation’s success.

Basketball Australia head of women in basketball Lauren Jackson said implementing the revised season structure would enable the league, its clubs and broadcasters the chance to prepare for the worst if COVID-19 restrictions were not eased enough to allow fans.

She said it was crucial to maintain a full season to ensure the sport continued to go from strength to strength.

“Women’s professional sport in Australia has taken giant leaps forward over recent years and it’s extremely important to Basketball Australia that the WNBL doesn’t regress during these times of global adversity. In fact, we want the opposite to occur,” Jackson said.

“Australia is the envy of the basketball world for the quality of talent we produce both on and off the court.

“With an eye on the Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Sydney, having a strong domestic league while providing opportunities for our current and emerging talent is our priority.”

IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT CLARITY AND KNOW THIS IS OUR PRIORITY, TO GET NEXT SEASON READY TO GO

SAM PASCOE