Tassie are a step closer to having a team in the WNBL, becoming the fourth franchise to do so
The Tasmania JackJumpers will soon discover whether the franchise will expand into the WNBL competition. Here’s the latest.
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The Tasmania JackJumpers path into the WNBL could be “finalised” in the coming days if hopeful boss Christine Finnegan has her way.
Speaking at the start of construction for the club’s high performance centre, Finnegan said was hopeful an announcement might be not far away.
The WNBL is currently an eight-team competition and if the JackJumpers are successful in achieving a licence, it’s expected they’ll join for the 2026-27 campaign.
“We are very, very close to joining that competition and I’m hoping to have something finalised this week,” Finnegan said.
“I’m very pleased that it enjoys bipartisan support here in Tasmania and for me it’s now a matter of a couple more boxes to be ticked with the WNBL and then hopefully some announcement in the next few weeks.
“These training facilities are built for men and women in mind and equal opportunity and facilities for both men and women and I’m very, very proud of that.
“Should we be awarded that licence will be a wonderful place for both our men and women to train.”
Previously it had been suggested the JackJumpers WNBL team would be based in the north of the state with most games at Launceston’s Silverdome.
But no decision has been officially confirmed.
“The upgrades to the Silverdome are coming and we’re really pleased about that,” Finnegan said.
Last month, Finnegan told his masthead it was the club’s intent to join the WNBL for 2026-27.
There had been talk of entry for the upcoming season when question marks surrounded the future of the Adelaide Lightning, who are now moving ahead.
“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.”
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Originally published as Tassie are a step closer to having a team in the WNBL, becoming the fourth franchise to do so
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