 | |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Western Australia |
| Abbreviation | Basketball WA BWA |
| Founded | 1946 |
| Affiliation | Basketball Australia |
| Headquarters | Bendat Basketball Centre, Floreat, Western Australia |
| Chairperson | Fiona Notley |
| CEO | Nathan Cave |
| Official website | |
| www | |
Basketball Western Australia (a.k.a. the Western Australian Basketball Federation) is the governing body of basketball in Western Australia and is responsible for the development and promotion of the sport at a state and local level.
The Western Australian Basketball Federation (WABF) was founded in 1946 as the Western Australian Basketball Association, which later became known as the Amateur Basketball Association of Western Australia. The original Western Australian Basketball Association was formed by a small group of basketball enthusiasts at the Perth YMCA on Murray Street on Wednesday, 3 April 1946. The sport had already been played across the state for 35 years, but there had been no official management or promotion of the sport. John Leonard, a highly respected Perth businessman, athlete and two-time winner of football's coveted Sandover Medal, played a key role in orchestrating the first meeting on 3 April 1946. The initial aim was to form a body that would manage, control and promote the development of basketball in Western Australia. [1] The resulting winter competition played at Claremont Showground saw teams compete for the John Leonard Perpetual Shield. [2]
After the 1962 Commonwealth Games, the WABF's headquarters switched to the newly built Perry Lakes Basketball Stadium. The A Grade competition continued until 1972, when it was renamed the District Competition, involving seven association teams, although this was soon increased to eight. This format continued to 1987, although the competition underwent several name changes as sponsors began to show their interest. 1987 was something of a watershed year for the WABF, as the entire structure of the game in Western Australia was being reconsidered. [2]
The impetus for the rethink was the dire financial straits which the WABF found itself in the previous year. The Perth Wildcats had been a financial burden since joining the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1982, and at the end of the 1986 season, the WABF was $400,000 in the red. A task force was established to sort out the mess, and the upshot was that Perth businessman Bob Williams, sponsor of the Wildcats in 1986, purchased a 60 percent interest in the team from the WABF for $200,000. The WABF's administration was also restructured, with Alan Marshall joining as chief executive with a brief to put the WABF on a firm financial footing. [2] [3]
A census in 1987 showed that 61 percent of WABF members were from country areas, so it was decided to try to include several country teams in the state's premier basketball league. However, this could not be done until the WABF had traded out its difficulties. Fortunately, the Wildcats had a hugely successful season in 1987—reaching the NBL Grand Final in their first trip to the finals—attracting much television coverage, which saw basketball's popularity soar. [2]
An immediate result of the sport's new popularity was the debut of McDonald's as a sponsor. The fast-food chain entered into a $150,000 three-year deal with the WABF, sponsoring the premier competition and funding an extensive junior programme. [2]
In 1988, it was decided to form a State Basketball League (SBL) for both men and women, and to develop it into an elite, statewide competition as soon as possible. This meant seeking out private owners and attracting corporate sponsorship, so as to not burden the association. As part of basketball's development, the Western Australian Institute of Sport men's team was included in the SBL under Warren Kuhn. [2]
Simon Leunig, who had been the WABF's development officer, was appointed general manager of the SBL, and set about organising an expanded league for 1989. His marketing strategy paid off, and three new franchises were established in country areas: the Rainbow Coast Raiders from Albany were the first, followed by the Batavia Buccaneers from Geraldton and the Souwest Slammers from Bunbury. [2]
The expanded SBL, which was limited to men's teams in 1989, was sponsored by McDonald's and Skywest, with a $65,000 grant from the State Government to help with travel costs. [2]
Basketball WA has had two ownership stints of the Perth Lynx that play in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL), [4] the first from 2001 and 2015 [5] and the second from 2020 to 2024. [6] [7]
Basketball WA are in charge of operations for the Perth Wheelcats and Western Stars, [8] who play in the National Wheelchair Basketball League (NWBL) and the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League (WNWBL) respectively. [9]
Basketball WA's most prominent competitions are the NBL1 West and the Western Australian Basketball League (WABL). The NBL1 West comprises both a men's and women's semi-professional competition, while the WABL consists of multiple under-age junior divisions. [10]
Since 2014, Basketball WA has been in charge of the day-to-day operations of the Bendat Basketball Centre under a co-management agreement with VenuesWest. [11]
| Years | CEO |
|---|---|
| 2008–2015 | Rick Smith [12] [13] [14] |
| 2015 | Christian Rice (acting) [14] |
| 2015–2023 | Rob Clement [15] [16] |
| 2023 | Evan Stewart (acting) [17] [18] [19] |
| 2023– | Nathan Cave [18] [20] |
| Years | President |
|---|---|
| 2002–2011 | Elizabeth Woods [21] |
| Years | Chairperson |
| 2011–2014 | Elizabeth Woods [21] |
| 2014–2021 | Keith Dunlap [21] [22] |
| 2021–2022 | Jennifer Riatti (acting) [22] [23] |
| 2022– | Fiona Notley [23] |
The Basketball WA Hall of Fame was inaugurated in 2021 with 11 inductees. [24]
| † | Indicates those inductees who are now deceased |
| Year | Name | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Luc Longley | Player |
| 2021 | Andrew Vlahov | Player |
| 2021 | Mike Ellis | Player Coach |
| 2021 | Tully Bevilaqua | Player |
| 2021 | Melissa Sinfield | Player |
| 2021 | Rohanee Cox | Player |
| 2021 | Andy Stewart | Coach |
| 2021 | John Gardiner † | Player Coach |
| 2021 | Brad Ness | Wheelchair athlete |
| 2021 | Tom Mills | Referee |
| 2021 | Elizabeth Woods | Technical official |
| 2022 | Justin Eveson | Wheelchair athlete |
| 2022 | Melissa Marsh | Player |
| 2022 | Mark Worthington | Player |
| 2023 | Fiona Robinson | Player |
| 2023 | Paul Rogers | Player |
| 2024 | Ricky Grace | Player |
Source: Basketball WA
NBL1 West, formerly the State Basketball League (SBL), is a semi-professional basketball league in Western Australia, comprising both a men's and women's competition. In 2020, Basketball Western Australia partnered with the National Basketball League (NBL) to bring NBL1 to Western Australia. NBL1 replaced the former SBL to create more professional pathways and opportunities for males and females playing basketball in Western Australia. As a result, the SBL became the west conference of NBL1.
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.
Fiona Mary Robinson is an Australian former basketball and handball player. She played 10 seasons in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) and five seasons in the State Basketball League (SBL). She was a member of the Australia women's national basketball team that won the bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Four years later, she was a member of the Australia women's national handball team at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Ben Purser is an Australian former basketball player. He played 16 years for the Perry Lakes Hawks of the NBL1 West, debuting in 2008 and playing every year until retiring in 2023. As team captain, he led the Hawks to two championships, the first in 2018 in the State Basketball League (SBL) with grand final MVP honours and the second in 2021 in the inaugural NBL1 West season. He was named to the All-SBL First Team in 2018 and the SBL All-Defensive Five every year between 2016 and 2019. He was also the league's Most Improved Player in 2009.
Natalie Burton is an Australian basketball player and coach. She represented the Australian national team and was a regular with the Perry Lakes Hawks of the NBL1 West until 2021. She served as assistant coach for the Perth Lynx of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) between 2021 and 2024.
Deanna Smith is an Australian basketball coach and former player. She played the majority of her career in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL), winning two WNBL championships and earning three WNBL All-Star Five honours. She also played wheelchair basketball in the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League (WNWBL), becoming the first player to play in both the WNBL and WNWBL.
Jarrad Prue is an Australian former basketball player. He played 15 seasons with the Lakeside Lightning of the NBL1 West between 2003 and 2021 and won three championships. He is the NBL1 West's all-time leading rebounder.
Bradley Robbins is an Australian basketball coach and former player who is most known for his time spent in the National Basketball League (NBL) with the Perth Wildcats. He currently serves as the head coach of the Warwick Senators women's team in the NBL1 West.
Alexandra Antonietta Ciabattoni is an Australian professional basketball player for the Cockburn Cougars of the NBL1 West. She played college basketball for the Newman Jets before beginning her career in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL).
Andy Stewart is an Australian basketball coach.
Ashleigh Isenbarger is an Australian professional basketball player for the Perry Lakes Hawks of the NBL1 West.
Stacey Barr is an Australian rules footballer and basketball player. She has played for the Fremantle Football Club in the AFL Women's competition, and has played in the Women's National Basketball League for the Perth Lynx.
The NBL1 West Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual NBL1 West award given to the best performing player of the regular season. Known as the State Basketball League (SBL) MVP from 1989 to 2019, the SBL was rebranded to NBL1 West in 2021.
The NBL1 West Coach of the Year is an annual NBL1 West award given to the best performing head coach of the regular season. Known as the State Basketball League (SBL) Coach of the Year from 1989 to 2019, the SBL was rebranded to NBL1 West in 2021.
The All-NBL1 West First Team is an annual NBL1 West honour bestowed on the best players in the league each year. Under the State Basketball League (SBL) brand, a five-player all-star team was named every year between 2005 and 2019. On a few occasions, the Most Valuable Player has not been named in the All-Star Five / First Team.
Michael James Vigor is a Scottish-born Australian professional basketball player for the Willetton Tigers of the NBL1 West. He made his debut in the State Basketball League (SBL) for the Perth Redbacks in 2008 and in 2011 joined the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL) as a development player. He won an NBL championship with the Wildcats in 2014 and an SBL championship with the Redbacks in 2017. He played in Europe between 2015 and 2020, and in 2018 he represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games.
Ryan Petrik is an Australian basketball coach who currently serves as head coach of the Perth Lynx of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). Prior to becoming head coach of the Lynx in 2020, Petrik led the Rockingham Flames women's team in the State Basketball League (SBL) to two championships in 2014 and 2015 and earned SBL Coach of the Year honours in 2012. Between 2015 and 2020, he served as an assistant coach with the Lynx, and between 2019 and 2024, he served as head coach of the Flames men's team. In 2022, he was named the WNBL Coach of the Year and guided the Flames men to the NBL1 West championship and NBL1 National championship.
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