Fight to save the WNBL: The potential saviours, protracted talks and million-dollar losses

Opals remain in the dark. A rival league is on a poaching raid and the clock is ticking as multi-millionaires mull what’s next. MICHAEL RANDALL and MATT LOGUE take a deep dive into the state of the ailing WNBL.

Basketball Australia is in the throes of an audacious bid to privatise and revitalise the struggling WNBL.

In a special CODE Sports investigation, News Corp basketball reporters Michael Randall and Matt Logue have taken a deep dive into the league, what BA is planning, and how the major players feel about its future.



Multi-millionaires Gerry Ryan C) and Robyn Denholm have joined powerhouse NBL owner Larry Kestelman in expressing interest in taking ownership of the WNBL. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

They found:

– Big business is keen on a league takeover. Some of Australia’s richest people have expressed an interest in investing in the WNBL – including a billionaire and two businesspeople worth hundreds of millions.

– Big decisions loom on the future of two clubs, with one in a tug of war that could end up in relocation and the other being eyed off by media mogul Craig Hutchison.

– Players have expressed cautious optimism at the moves, which involve a consultancy firm headed up by former NRL chief executive David Gallop.

– BA’s boss is unreservedly optimistic, believing the league, which is Australia’s oldest professional women’s sporting competition, is on the cusp of greatness.

– The work has complicated matters, with the league yet to strike a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. That’s forced the league to push back free agency, leaving dozens of the country’s best out-of-contract players facing more uncertainty.

– A rival women’s basketball league has shifted its timeslot to become a direct competitor with the WNBL, is cashed up, and has plans for a poaching raid on Australian talent.

Click here to read the full report.

Originally published as Fight to save the WNBL: The potential saviours, protracted talks and million-dollar losses