Adelaide Lightning’s future could force WNBL to start bold new era with just seven teams

A seven team WNBL26 season could be a strong reality, with officials expecting South Australia’s most successful sporting franchise, Adelaide Lightning, to fold.

The Adelaide Lightning is highly doubtful to play in WNBL26, potentially leaving the newly taken over league to start its bold new era with just seven teams if officials fail to secure another franchise.

Code Sports can confirm WNBL officials are planning for the Lightning – South Australia’s most successful sporting franchise – to fold unless “something dramatic changes” in the coming weeks.

Adelaide’s looming demise could pave the way for a new franchise to enter the WNBL – as early as this season’s starting date in October.

Officials have received strong interest from Brisbane, Tasmania, New Zealand and potentially another Melbourne-based team.

The league would ideally like Brisbane or Tasmania to enter the competition this season, however both franchises want to take the patient path.

The Adelaide Lightning has produced countless Australian stars, including rising Opals star Isobel Borlase. Picture: Sarah Reed/Getty Images

Bullets CEO Mal Watts told Code Sports his club is “fully committed” to a WNBL franchise, but can’t see it “realistically” as a 2026 launch date.

“We need to ensure the model is set for sustainability,” Watts said.

It’s the same mindset for Tasmania, with JackJumpers CEO Christine Finnegan confirming the franchise’s intent to join the competition in WNBL27.

“They (the league) have expressed the desire that if we were ready (for this season), then they would like us to do so, but we’re in the position that if we are going to do it, then we are going to do it well,” Finnegan said.

“We’d like a longer runway to finalise government support and we haven’t signed a licence agreement, so I wouldn’t say we are ready to go in for the next season and we certainly haven’t had any conversations in the last 48 hours around that changing at all.

“We’re certainly continuing our planning as if we are starting in ’26 and I can’t see that changing from our perspective.”

Tasmania JackJumpers CEO Christine Finnegan is keen for the club to have a WNBL team. Picture: Linda Higginson

The WNBL had been prepared to delay free agency – set to commence in mid-May – to allow officials to finalise the eighth team for WNBL26.

Given the uncertainty around Adelaide, the league may be forced to start the season with just seven teams.

The Lightning’s ownership group had planned to relinquish the club’s license back to the WNBL, before changing their stance after seeing plans for a restructured competition under a new Larry Kestelman and Robyn Denholm consortium.

Despite Adelaide’s on-court success – a foundation side which has won five WNBL championships – officials have knocked back the club from continuing next season due to it being financially unstainable.

WNBL officials have confirmed they won’t permanently shut the door on a Adelaide franchise in the future given the city’s rich hoops history, but stressed the club must be sustainable and strong.

Originally published as Adelaide Lightning’s future could force WNBL to start bold new era with just seven teams