8 ways to make the WNBL so, so much better

• WNBL needs to emulate the NBL with marquee signings
• WNBL needs to improve its television broadcast experience
• WNBL MVP Sami Whitcomb said fans need to get to know the players

With the 2024/25 WNBL season done and dusted, there’s optimism bigger and better times are ahead as new league ownership prepares to takes over.

We all know the product is great, some of the best players in the world ply their trade in the WNBL — from superstar Opals to exciting imports and the rising stars of tomorrow. With new leadership and investment, I’m looking forward to seeing what is next for the WNBL.

As we head into a new era, there are obvious areas for improvement within and surrounding the league, and while I don’t have all the answers, I’ve put together a list of what I think could be built upon.

1. GET THE BROADCAST RIGHT

Getting the broadcast right is key, and the lacking in this area has held the league back for years. It’s such a simple thing, but why does the WNBL have such an issue with the score bug on broadcasts? I watch a lot of basketball and never see any other league struggle as much as the WNBL does with this.

The shot clock and game clock are more often wrong than right, which is incredibly frustrating for viewers across the country and the globe. So often when it’s a tight game and every second counts, viewers at home aren’t sure how much time is left in the possession and the game.

2. BETTER INJURY REPORTING

Clearer and more timely injury reporting would create better transparency. I understand in certain circumstances, players are genuine game-time decisions, but sometimes before games you don’t even know who is going to be playing until you tune into the broadcast and see who is on the court. I’d love to see a status report from each team with ins and outs an hour before the game to clearly show who will be suiting up.

On the other hand, injury reporting after games could also be improved. Often there is an injury during a game and the public isn’t made aware of the status of that player until the next game, which can be a week later in some cases. Transparency and informing the public in a timely manner is key.

3. RETENTION OF AUSSIE STARS

Bec Allen’s appearance on Offsiders got me thinking about her point of the need for a bigger emphasis on retaining Australian players. I wonder if something like marquee signings in the NBL could be possible and necessary in the WNBL? We’ve seen it work well in the NBL and having more homegrown talent want to stay in Australia and for it to make financial sense would be a massive boost for the league.

There were a number of Opals in the WNBL this season, which was fantastic but imagine if even more — such as Alanna Smith or Ezi Magbegor — returned to the WNBL.

4. WNBL x NBL CLASHES

The age-old problem of the clash of timing between WNBL and NBL games always seems to rear its head at the business end of the season for both leagues. My hope, as the leagues become more connected through the new ownership group, is that there can be a better line of communication and collaboration to ensure fans who want to watch both leagues aren’t forced to choose between one or the other for those blockbuster finals games.

5. NO GENERIC SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

Can we please get rid of tweets like this from the official WNBL account? It may seem petty or even comical, but a clearly automated and bland tweet that gives no excitement annoys me. Let’s pump up the league and the players, emphasise who is in the highlight plays that are posted and make it easy for fans to connect with.  

6. BETTER CONNECTION/INTEGRATION WITH JUNIORS

There needs to be a better connection/integration between the junior level and the WNBL. It boggles my mind that basketball is one of the highest participation sports in the country, yet the connection between those junior and the WNBL is near non-existent.

Most junior players wouldn’t be able to name a handful of WNBL players, whereas if they knew more about the league and its players, they would connect more with the league. This is one of those topics that I certainly don’t have the answers for, but I know there must be some form of connection.

7. ACCESS TO MERCH & PRIVATE INVESTORS

As I was putting this list together, I asked Jacinta Govind, who is a fantastic WNBL and women’s basketball advocate, about her thoughts on the topic and she had some great ideas. She highlighted better access to merchandise and questioned if there will be someone or a group of people assisting clubs with acquiring private investors.

The wait-time on jersey orders online throughout the past season was six to eight weeks. This just isn’t good enough in today’s world. Consumers are used to getting things almost instantly when ordering online these days and I have no doubt seeing a six to eight week wait-time puts people off ordering their favourite player’s jersey.

On the private investor topic, it’s an interesting one as we’ve seen in recent times NBL clubs getting investors onboard and selling stakes for large amounts of money, while in the WNBA, investors are coming from everywhere. It’s an exciting time for women’s basketball and to continue to grow it here in Australia, that investment is needed.

8. THOUGHTS FROM THE MVP

After talking with WNBL MVP Sami Whitcomb last week about her journey, I couldn’t help but ask her what she thinks the WNBL could improve on, having seen the incredible growth in the WNBA firsthand.

Her answer was thoughtful.

"It seems with the younger, newer generation, a lot of these new fans seem to be really invested in not just the athlete as much as the person," Whitcomb said.

"Obviously, it helps that Caitlin Clark is the incredible athlete that she is and basketball player that she is, but people do seem to get very, very attached to the person. Through social media now, there is the connection and engagement with fans through their own storytelling and their own branding of themselves.

"I think that seems to have made a huge difference in terms of bringing in these new fans, they seem to as much as I think they care about them as basketball players, I think they genuinely are just fans of them as people; they want to know them and know more about them.

"I think that's an element that not’s necessarily missing, but maybe an element (the WNBL) can really expand on and build on. It's the same thing here; people want access, they want to know and see these people. You need something that helps them understand how much they really want to come to the games."

With room to grow and build upon the foundation of a league that is Australia’s longest-running professional women’s sporting league, I couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come.

About the Author

Hayley Wildes is passionate about all things Australian women’s basketball and loves to highlight the stories of players from all levels and competitions across the globe. From our own backyard in the WNBL, to the WNBA and the Opals, and everything in between, Hayley has you covered.