Pioneering WNBA and successful NBA official joins forces with former NBL franchise owner to bid for a slice of the WNBL

A WNBA pioneer and a former NBL franchise owner have teamed up to bid for a slice of the WNBL, reveals MATT LOGUE.

Pioneering WNBA and successful NBA official Bryan Colangelo and former NBL franchise owner Dorry Kordahi have joined forces to bid for a piece of the WNBL.

CODE Sports can reveal a Colangelo and Kordahi led syndicate has emerged as a genuine option to control a significant slice of Australia’s oldest women’s sporting competition.

The pair share decades of experience in basketball and business and are viewed as a positive and fresh look for a WNBL competition struggling for exposure while other women’s sport thrives.

The WNBL sale is down to the “pointy end”, with two favourable parties battling to take on a percentage of Australia’s oldest women’s sporting competition, reports @mattlogue7. https://t.co/Gu2pidT9xm

— CODE Sports (@codesportsau) May 27, 2024

Colangelo has served on the Board of Directors of Canada Basketball and held various committee positions with the NBA, WNBA and Naismith Hall of Fame.

During his tenure as President of Phoenix Arena Sports (PAS), he played a vital role in the forming of foundation WNBA franchise the Phoenix Mercury.

PAS was the owning entity for the Mercury, who played in the WNBA Finals in 1998 with Australian Michele Timms on the team.

Colangelo has worked as a GM for three NBA franchises – Phoenix, Toronto and Philadelphia – including winning the Executive of the Year during his stint with the Raptors in 2007.

He was also president of basketball operations in Toronto and at the 76ers.

Kordahi, who is leading the bid, is a well-respected Australian entrepreneur, investor, start-up mentor and author who founded and self-started market leading corporate merchandise business DKM Blue.

Dorry Kordahi unveiling Boomers coach Brian Goorjian as the Illawarra Hawks new coach in 2020

He is also a dedicated and passionate member of the Australian basketball community, having played professionally in his 20s to later becoming a player agent and by the age of 32 became the co-owner of the Sydney Kings.

Kordahi excelled as president of the Illawarra Hawks in 2020-21, bringing in Boomers coach Brian Goorjian and helping reinvigorate the Hawks with consecutive post-season appearances.

He brings two decades of experience, knowledge, insight and passion to the sport.

The Kordahi and Colangelo led syndicate will go head-to-head with NBL owner Larry Kestelman and Tesla chairwoman and Sydney Kings majority owner Robyn Denholm, who have submitted a joint bid for partial ownership of the WNBL.

A third party – Crest Sport and Entertainment – a part owner of the Illawarra Hawks and a global sports company IMG – has also entered a bid.

Basketball Australia CEO Matt Scriven recently said the WNBL sale was at the “pointy end”.

Scriven has previously declared he is looking for an investor to acquire up to 70 per cent of the league, said to be valued at approximately $30 million.

It comes as the WNBL is yet to finalise a CBA ahead of the free agency period, which was slated to start on Monday (June 10). It’s understood this free agency date could be pushed back for the third time this pre-season, which has left players and clubs frustrated.

Originally published as Pioneering WNBA and successful NBA official joins forces with former NBL franchise owner to bid for a slice of the WNBL