Adelaide Lightning to play more double headers with the 36ers next season under new membership arrangement

THE Adelaide Lightning will play more double headers with the 36ers next season under a new all-inclusive membership for basketball fans in SA.

Nicole Seekamp won Adelaide Lightning’s MVP this season and will return to the team next summer. Picture: Sarah Reed.

THE Adelaide Lightning will play more double headers with the 36ers next season under a new all-inclusive membership for basketball fans in SA.

The move forms part of owner Grant Kelley’s plan to establish one club and align the men’s and women’s programs in Adelaide.

Kelley has reaffirmed his commitment to the Lightning in the WNBL and said three emerging stars Lauren Nicholson, Nicole Seekamp and Aimie Clydesdale would all return next season.

“We want to do as many double headers as we can ... I reckon we need to get seven and because of our relationship with Adelaide Arena we have very good scheduling possibilities,” he said.

“It comes down to the NBL and WNBL working together to schedule matches that make sense.

“And we’re going to provide Adelaide 36ers members with the ability to attend Lightning games, so there will be an Adelaide basketball membership that will enable you to attend both but it won’t be more expensive.”

Kelley said the Lightning was an important part of the basketball landscape in Adelaide.

“Women’s sport is a growth industry and we need to understand and support that trajectory.

“And I’ve always had a concept of one club because there are a lot of synergies between a men’s and women’s program.

“If you look at the great college programs in the United States, they have them together, and there’s no reason why as a large club in a small city we shouldn’t have both teams together.

“For us there is tremendous economy of scale, and finally there the history of the Lightning - a team which has won five championships and produced Rachael Sporn and Laura Hodges and countless other superstars and it’s a great South Australian brand.”

The Lightning went from bottom of the ladder to fifth this season and missed the finals by one game.

“The first thing we did was recruit Chris Lucas (as coach), and we brought Chris to Singapore for a strategic planning session for two days and like Joey (Wright), Chris is a super guy, high integrity, phenomenal courage and we’re delighted with what the Lightning did,” Kelley said.

“They fell short at the 11th hour, one more bucket against Sydney they would have won that game and made finals, but Chris did an unbelievable job especially coming back after his cancer diagnosis and Jason Chainey and Marcus Wong did a great job supporting him.”

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