Roster
| 2020 Townsville Fire roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Updated: 16 October 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–21 Townsville Fire season | |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Shannon Seebohm |
| Venue | Townsville Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 9–4 |
| Ladder | 2nd |
| Finals | Grand Final (defeated by Southside, 82–99) |
| Leaders | |
| Points | Nicholson (18.9) |
| Rebounds | Payne (6.3) |
| Assists | Heal (3.4) |
The 2020 Townsville Fire season was the 20th season for the franchise in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL).
James Cook University remain as the Fire's naming rights partner after signing a three-year extension in September 2019. [1] The Fire announced a different leadership team for this season, with Kate Gaze, Mia Murray, Lauren Nicholson & Nadeen Payne acting as a leadership group rather than a captaincy. [2]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a North Queensland hub is set to host the season. [3] The season was originally 2020–21 and would be traditionally played over several months across the summer, however this seasons scheduling has been condensed. The six-week season will see Townsville, Cairns and Mackay host a 56-game regular season fixture, plus a four game final series (2 x semi-finals, preliminary final and grand final). [4]
| 2020 Townsville Fire roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Updated: 16 October 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| # | WNBL Championship ladder | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | GP | |||||
| 1 | Southside Flyers | 11 | 2 | 84.6 | 13 | ||||
| 2 | Townsville Fire | 9 | 4 | 69.2 | 13 | ||||
| 3 | Canberra Capitals | 9 | 4 | 69.2 | 13 | ||||
| 4 | Melbourne Boomers | 9 | 4 | 69.2 | 13 | ||||
| 5 | Sydney Uni Flames | 5 | 8 | 38.5 | 13 | ||||
| 6 | Adelaide Lightning | 5 | 8 | 38.5 | 13 | ||||
| 7 | Perth Lynx | 4 | 9 | 30.8 | 13 | ||||
| 8 | Bendigo Spirit | 0 | 13 | 0.0 | 13 | ||||
| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SF | December 16 | Southside | 93–106 | Heal, Nicholson (30) | Aokuso (6) | Heal (7) | Townsville Stadium | 0–1 |
| PF | December 18 | Melbourne | 65–62 | Heal (28) | McKay, Nicholson (8) | Payne (4) | Townsville Stadium | 1–1 |
| GF | December 20 | Southside | 82–99 | Nicholson (20) | Heal, McKay, Nicholson (7) | Nicholson (4) | Townsville Stadium | 1–2 |
The Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) is the pre-eminent professional women's basketball league in Australia. It is currently composed of eight teams. The league was founded in 1981 and is the women's counterpart to the National Basketball League (NBL). Several WNBL teams have NBL counterparts. The Adelaide Lightning, Melbourne Boomers, Perth Lynx, Southside Flyers and Sydney Uni Flames are the current WNBL teams sharing a market with an NBL team. The current league champions are the Townsville Fire, who won their fourth title in 2023.
The Perth Lynx are an Australian professional basketball team based in Perth, Western Australia. The Lynx compete in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) and play their home games at Bendat Basketball Centre. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as the Northern Star Resources Perth Lynx.
Bendigo Stadium is an Australian sports and entertainment centre in Bendigo, Victoria. The stadium is home to the Bendigo Braves (NBL1) and Bendigo Spirit (WNBL). It hosted basketball matches during the 2006 Commonwealth Games and will host netball during the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The stadium's facilities include ten indoor sports courts, major exhibition and function areas, a licensed clubroom and associated administration facilities.
Marianna Tolo is an Australian basketball player for the University of Canberra Capitals in Australia's Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). She has also played for the CJM Bourges Basket in the LFB and Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA. She has also been a member of the Australia women's national basketball team.
Rachael McCully is one of Australia's most accomplished female basketballers. During a decorated WNBL career, McCully played for the Adelaide Lightning, Dandenong Rangers and Townsville Fire, earning the WNBL's Robyn Maher Defensive Player of Year award in 2009/2010 and 2010/2011. She played her 324th and final WNBL game in the 2014/15 WNBL Grand Final as she led the Townsville Fire to their inaugural championship. McCully was also a member of the Australia women's national basketball team, being named in the team for the first time in 2010 and narrowly missing out on selection for the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women.
Cayla George is an Australian professional basketball player for the Sydney Flames of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). She was a member of the Australian Women's basketball team (Opals) at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Opals were eliminated after losing to the USA in the quarterfinals.
Kayla Maria Steindl is an American professional basketball player for the Hobart Chargers of the NBL1 South. The Ellensburg, Washington native played four years of college basketball for Gonzaga before moving to Australia to play in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL).
Samantha Allison Whitcomb is an American-Australian professional basketball player for the Rockingham Flames of the NBL1 West. She is also contracted with the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the Washington Huskies before making a name for herself in Australia with the Rockingham Flames in the State Basketball League (SBL) and the Perth Lynx in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). She made her debut in the WNBA in 2017 and won championships with the Seattle Storm in 2018 and 2020. She became an Australian citizen in 2018 and made her debut for the Australian Opals.
Shyla Jade Heal is an Australian professional basketball player.
The 2020 WNBL season was the 41st season of the competition since its establishment in 1981. The Canberra Capitals were the two-time defending champions, but were defeated in the semi-finals by Melbourne. The Southside Flyers won the Grand Final, defeating the Townsville Fire, 99–82. The Flyers took home the franchise's fourth WNBL title overall, this being their first since rebranding as Southside.
The 2020 WNBL Finals was the postseason tournament of the WNBL's 2020 season. The Canberra Capitals were the two-time defending champions, but were defeated in the semi-finals by Melbourne. The Southside Flyers won the Grand Final, defeating the Townsville Fire, 99–82. The Flyers took home the franchise's fourth WNBL title overall, this being their first since rebranding as Southside.
The 2020 Adelaide Lightning season is the 29th season for the franchise in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL).
The 2020 Bendigo Spirit season is the 14th season for the franchise in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL).
The 2020 Canberra Capitals season is the 37th season for the franchise in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL).
The 2020 Melbourne Boomers season is the 38th season for the franchise in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL).
The 2020 Perth Lynx season is the 35th season for the franchise in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL).
The 2020 Southside Flyers season is the 29th season for the franchise in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). With a grand final win over the Townsville Fire, the Flyers took home their fourth championship title. This win marked their first title since rebranding.
The 2020 Sydney Uni Flames season is the 41st season for the franchise in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL).
The 2022–23 WNBL season is the 43rd season of the competition since its establishment in 1981. The Melbourne Boomers were the defending champions, but were defeated in the Semi-Finals by Southside. The Townsville Fire won their fourth championship title after sweeping Southside, 2–0 in the Grand Final series.
Miela Elizabeth Goodchild is an Australian professional basketball player for the Perth Lynx of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). She is also contracted with the North Gold Coast Seahawks of the NBL1 North. After winning a WNBL championship as a development player with the Townsville Fire in 2018, she played four seasons of college basketball in the United States for the Duke Blue Devils. She returned to the WNBL in 2022, playing a season for the Melbourne Boomers before joining the Perth Lynx.
A council report has detailed a proposal to host, and be central to, the 2020/21 WNBL season within a coronavirus 'bubble'. It's understood the WNBL has plans to host the games wholly within North Queensland, taking advantage of state government grants funding.
