WNBL free agency state of play: Every team’s free agents and signed players

Free agency has kicked off in the WNBL and more than 80 players across the league are out of contract. See every free agent and the stars your club needs to sign.

More than 80 players across the WNBL’s eight teams were out of contract when the league’s free agency period began on Tuesday morning.

After free agency, which was due to begin in April, was postponed for a month due to negotiations over the next Collective Bargaining Agreement, it can be revealed bronzed World Cup Opal Kristy Wallace will return to Melbourne Boomers for WNBL24.

And the league’s leading scorer in Tiffany Mitchell has franked her stunning season with the Boomers by securing a lucrative European deal that will take her from the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx to Turkey’s Galatasaray next season.

The other two Opals in the Boomers’ star-studded trio Cayla George and Tess Madgen are both out of contract.

Reigning champion Townsville enters its quest to go back-to-back with arguably the league’s best point guard in Steph Reid locked away and the Fire are zeroing in on the signatures of a number of other members of the title team that defeated Southside 2-0 in the grand final.

Teenage rising star Isobel Borlase has inked a two-year deal.

Kristy Wallace will return to the Melbourne Boomers. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

Adelaide Lightning have re-signed Isobel Borlase for two years after her breakout debut season in the WNBL.

The 19-year-old, last season, won the Betty Watson Breakout Player of the Year and the WNBL’s Sixth Woman of the Year.

“I took a lot away from last season and I think there is a lot to work on and staying at home in Adelaide is the right place for me to do that,” Borlase said.

The only import under contract is UC Capitals’ Nicole Munger. The Capitals are one of only two teams with six players already locked away, Bendigo the other. Caps young LA Sparks WNBA draft pick Shaneice Swan is not among those contracted.

It means the likes of grand final MVP Tianna Hawkins and Flyers superstar Kayla Thornton will be hot property, should they return to Australia.

It’s understood clubs had sought a change in the league’s marquee rule, which allows one local to be paid any sum, with only $60,000 counting towards the salary cap. Some clubs wanted the option to choose any player — local or import — to assign the marquee tag but it’s understood Basketball Australia and the Australian Basketball Players’ Association agreed to maintain the status quo. The move was part of a number of sticking points — including raising the minimum wage from $15,000 to $20,000 — the union and BA agreed on to ensure free agency could begin.

A new Collective Bargaining Agreement is yet to be agreed on, with the current deal set to expire on June 30.

FULL LIST OF FREE AGENTS

* Denotes import player

ADELAIDE LIGHTNING

COACH: NAT HURST

SIGNED

Lauren Mansfield (23 June 2022 – 2 seasons)

Tayla Brazel (existing contract to end of 23/24)

Isobel Borlase (new contract – 2 seasons)

FREE AGENT

Abby Cubillo

Brooke Basham

Chelsea Brook

Ella Batish

Jacinta Monroe*

Jasmin Fejo (DP)

Kiersten Bell*

Marena Whittle

Molly Coleman (DP)

Rachael Hines (DP)

Sam Simons

BENDIGO SPIRIT

COACH: KENNEDY KEREAMA

SIGNED

Anneli Maley (existing contract)

Kelsey Griffin

Alicia Froling

Abigail Wehrung

Alex Wilson

Sophia Locandro (existing contract to end of 23/24)

FREE AGENT

Aneta Bandilovska (DP)

Emma Mahady (DP)

Kelly Wilson

Mary Goulding

Megan McKay

Cassidy McLean

Piper Dunlop

Ruby Porter (DP)

Tessa Lavey

UC CAPITALS

COACH: KRISTEN VEAL

SIGNED

Alex Bunton (existing contract to end of 23/24)

Tahlia Tupaea (existing contract to end of 23/24)

Jade Melbourne (3 March 2023 – 2 seasons)

Nicole Munger* (10 March 2023)

Rebecca Pizzey (21 March 2023)

Gemma Potter (27 April 2023)

FREE AGENT

Abby Solway

Brittany Smart

Chloe Tugliach

Dekeiya Cohen*

Elizabeth Tonks

Emilee Whittle-Harmon

Rae Burrell*

Shaneice Swain

Sherrie Calleia

MELBOURNE BOOMERS

COACH: CHRIS LUCAS

SIGNED

Kristy Wallace

Penina Davidson

FREE AGENTS

Cayla George

Lauryn Hippolite

Leilani Mitchell

Lily Carmody (DP)

Lily Scanlon

Lou Brown

Miela Goodchild

Olivia Nelson-Ododa*

Rachel Brewster

Tess Madgen

Tiffany Mitchell*

PERTH LYNX

COACH: RYAN PETRIK

SIGNED

None

FREE AGENT

Alex Sharp

Amy Atwell

Chloe Bibby

Chloe Forster (DP)

Desiree Kelley (DP)

Emma Gandini

Jessie Edwards

Lauren Scherf

Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard

Robbi Ryan*

Ruby Vlahov (DP)

Sami Whitcomb

Tayah Burrows

SOUTHSIDE FLYERS

COACH: CHERYL CHAMBERS

SIGNED

Dallas Loughridge (existing contract to end of 23/24)

Nyadiew Puoch (existing contract to end of 23/24)

FREE AGENT

Abby Bishop

Aimee Rocci

Bec Cole

Carley Ernst

Georgia Pineau (DP)

Holly Griffiths (DP)

Kayla Thornton*

Lana Hollingsworth (DP)

Lauren Jackson

Maddi Rocci

Monique Conti

Sara Blicavs

SYDNEY FLAMES

COACH: GUY MOLLOY (INTERIM)

SIGNED

Tiana Mangakahia (25 May 2022 – 2 seasons)

Emma Clarke (26 May 2022 – 2 seasons)

Kiera Rowe (8 May 2023 – 2 seasons)

FREE AGENT

Hannah Sjerven*

Indiah Bowyer

Jocelyn Willoughby*

Kalani Purcell

Keely Froling

Lilly Rotunno

Maddy Allen

Vanessa Panousis

Emma Donnelly

Rachael Maenpaa

TOWNSVILLE FIRE

COACH: SHANNON SEEBOHM

SIGNED

Steph Reid (22 July 2022 – 2 seasons)

Courtney Woods (29 April 2022 – 2 seasons)

Zitina Aokuso (2 May 2022 – 2 seasons)

FREE AGENT

Aliza Fabbro (DP)

Karlie Samuelson*

Krystal Leger-Walker

Lara McSpadden

Lauren Nicholson

Morgan Yaeger

Nes’eya Parker Williams (DP)

Shyla Heal

Tia Hay (DP)

Tianna Hawkins*

Kate Gaze

Mikaela Reuf

‘HERE TO HELP’: LARRY CONFIRMS TALKS OVER WNBL’S FUTURE

The man who revived an almost-dead National Basketball League Larry Kestelman has begun talks with Basketball Australia on the under-siege WNBL’s future direction.

Following Wednesday’s revelations an organised group of WNBL club owners had banded together in a bid to force change in the elite women’s league, Kestelman said he had been engaged by chief executive Matt Scriven to work with Basketball Australia on the best way to take the league forward.

Opals legend Michele Timms has backed the billionaire NBL owner, who said his relationship with Scriven and Basketball Australia had “never been stronger”. Kestelman confirmed he was open to helping turn the WNBL — which lost more than $5.5 million last season — around.

“I look forward to working with and have already engaged with Basketball Australia to explore how I can help the WNBL,” Kestelman said.

Basketball Australia has reached out to Larry Kestelman for help.

“You have to get the model right. We want to work with BA to first figure out, what is the right model for the WNBL? Is the season right? Is the number of games right? Number of teams, locations?

“Unfortunately, it is that broken that it probably needs to be looked at from scratch.

“That’s the type of conversation Matt and BA and myself are having and, from that, it will evolve.”

Opals great Michele Timms said she was “gobsmacked” to read of the WNBL’s heavy losses and had long wanted Kestelman to take control of the league, which has postponed free agency amid long-running talks on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

“I’ve hoped, for many years, that Larry would take over,” Timms said.

“Seeing what Larry has done for the NBL – that would be my dream that we could have the same thing for the WNBL because it is a league that absolutely deserves it.

“It’s a league rich in history and elite athletes, but I feel like it’s time to work with Larry and maybe others as well.

The WNBL is struggling financially. Picture: Getty Images

“The WNBL has been fantastic this season, but I was shocked to read about the loss of $5 million.

“I just know that this league has got so much more to offer and the past year with the World Cup in Sydney has shown where the sport can go.”

Kestelman said it was too early to say if he would be interested in league ownership but was among many who believed the women’s game could thrive.

“Women’s sport is absolutely on the rise and it is something that needs nurture and care and commercial nous,” he said.

“The sport is much better off when everyone is succeeding and the sport is growing all around.

“That’s why I think helping the WNBL is very important and we stand ready.”

“I have been invited in, and it will take time, but the first step is to explore.

“Both BA and ourselves need to agree on what that model going forward would look like and that’s not necessarily a two-second exercise.

“Then we can evolve to who owns what, who does what.

Originally published as WNBL free agency state of play: Every team’s free agents and signed players