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.
Women's Basketball
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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.
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.
“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 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.
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