Townsville Fire

Last updated

Townsville Fire
Townsville Fire 2020.png
Leagues WNBL
Founded2001
HistoryTownsville Fire
2001–present
Arena Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre
Capacity5,257
Location Townsville, Queensland
Main sponsor James Cook University
PresidentSam Pascoe
Head coachShannon Seebohm
Championships4 (2015, 2016, 2018, 2023)

The Townsville Fire are an Australian professional female basketball team competing in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). They are the only female professional sporting team of any discipline in the northern half of Australia. The team was established in 2001 by Townsville Basketball Inc. In 2014, James Cook University became the team's principal partner and naming rights sponsor. [1]

Contents

Following the 2010/11 season, the Fire were seemingly doomed, folding under the weight of financial pressures before an 11th hour resurrection. [1] Prior to the 2011/12 season, the team became a not-for-profit, community owned entity. The Fire reached four straight WNBL Grand Finals between 2012/13 and 2015/16, winning back-to-back championships in 2015 and 2016. Their victory in March 2015 was the city's maiden national premiership. [2] The Fire returned to the WNBL Grand Final in 2017/18 and won their third title in four years. [3] The team won their fourth championship in 2023. [4]

Season-by-season records

SeasonStandingsRegular seasonFinalsHead coach
WLPCT
Townsville Fire
2001–02 8th31814.2Did not qualifyDavid Herbert
2002–03 2nd15671.0Lost Semi Final (Canberra, 67–68)
Lost Preliminary Final (Sydney, 78–83)
David Herbert
2003–04 5th12957.0Did not qualifyDavid Herbert
2004–05 6th71433.0Did not qualifyDavid Herbert
2005–06 6th12957.0Did not qualifyDavid Herbert
2006–07 6th101148.0Did not qualifyDavid Herbert
2007–08 6th101441.6Did not qualifyPeter Buckle
2008–09 3rd16672.7Won Semi Final (Adelaide, 91–78)
Lost Preliminary Final (Bulleen, 68–79)
Peter Buckle
2009–10 4th14863.6Won Elimination Final (Bendigo, 84–73)
Lost Semi Final (Canberra, 39–60)
Peter Buckle
2010–11 7th101245.4Did not qualifyPeter Buckle
2011–12 4th13959.0Won Elimination Final (Sydney, 85–78)
Lost Semi Final (Dandenong, 66–77)
Chris Lucas
2012–13 4th131154.1Won Semi Final (Adelaide, 60–53)
Won Preliminary Final (Dandenong, 78–64)
Lost Grand Final (Bendigo, 57–71)
Chris Lucas
2013–14 3rd16866.6Won Semi Final (Melbourne, 78–73)
Won Preliminary Final (Dandenong, 74–71)
Lost Grand Final (Bendigo, 83–94)
Chris Lucas
2014–15 1st17577.7Won Semi Final (Bendigo, 82–63)
Won Grand Final (Bendigo, 75–65)
Chris Lucas
2015–16 1st17770.8Lost Semi Final (Perth, 72–91)
Won Preliminary Final (South East Queensland, 91–71)
Won Grand Final (Perth, 2–0)
Chris Lucas
2016–17 4th141058.3Lost Semi Final (Sydney, 0–2) Claudia Brassard
2017–18 3rd14766.6Won Semi Final (Sydney, 2–0)
Won Grand Final (Melbourne, 2–1)
Claudia Brassard
2018–19 6th91242.8Did not qualify Claudia Brassard
2019–20 8th51623.8Did not qualifyShannon Seebohm
2020-21 2nd9469.2Lost Semi Final (Southside, 93–106)
Won Preliminary Final (Melbourne, 65–62)
Lost Grand Final (Southside, 82–99)
Shannon Seebohm
2021–22 6th71041.1Did not qualifyShannon Seebohm
2022–23 1st17480.9Won Semi Final (Perth, 2-0)

Won Grand Final (Southside, 2-0)

Shannon Seebohm
2023–24 1st14766.6Loss Semi Final (Perth, 0-2)Shannon Seebohm
Regular season27422155.34 Minor Premierships
Finals191555.84 WNBL Championships

Players

Current roster

Townsville Fire roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.
F 1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kunek, Alice   Cruz Roja.svg 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
G 2 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Shiels, Saffron 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
G 3 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Reid, Stephanie  (C)1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
G 4 Flag of Australia (converted).svg McDowell-White, Jessica 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
G 7 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Woods, Courtney 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
F 15 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Aokuso, Zitina 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)
G 17 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Whitcomb, Sami 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
F 22 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Brown, Cassandra  (I)1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
F 33 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ruef, Mikaela 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
C 42 Flag of Sweden.svg Zahui B., Amanda  (I)1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Parker-Williams, Nes’eya  (DP)
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Hay, Tia  (DP)
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Fabbro, Aliza  (DP)
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Development player
  • (I) Import player
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured

Updated: 28 January 2024

Former players

Coaches and staff

Owners

Head coaches

Townsville Fire head coaches
NameStartEndSeasonsRegular seasonFinals
WLPCTGWLPCTG
David Herbert 200120076596746.82126020.002
Peter Buckle 200720114504055.55902250.004
Chris Lucas 201120165764065.5111610471.4214
Claudia Brassard 201620193372956.06664357.147
Shannon Seebohm 2019Current4142041.17341233.333

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's National Basketball League</span> Womens professional basketball league in Australia

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suzy Batkovic</span> Australian basketball player

Suzy Batkovic is an Australian professional basketball player and politician. Suzy played her junior basketball with the Port Hunter Basketball Club in Newcastle. She has played basketball for several European clubs including the French Valenciennes, the Spanish side Ros Casares, the Russian side UMMC Ekaterinburg, and Italian side Cras Basket. In the United States, she has played for the Seattle Storm after having been selected as a first round draft pick in 2003. She has played professional basketball domestically for the Australian Institute of Sport in 1996–1999, the Sydney Uni Flames from 1999–2001, and 2009–2010, the Townsville Fire in 2001–2002, the Canberra Capitals in 2010–2011, and the Adelaide Lightning in 2011–2013; she returned to the Fire for the 2013–14 season. She has been a member of the Australia women's national basketball team, being named to the team for the first time in 1999. She won a silver medal with the team at the 2004 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perth Lynx</span> Western Australian womens basketball team

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rohanee Cox</span> Australian basketball player

Rohanee "Roey" Cox is an Australian professional basketball player who currently plays for the Sydney Uni Flames of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). She was one of the first Aboriginal Australians to represent her country in basketball at the Olympics and won a silver medal with the Opals at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Micaela Cocks is a professional basketball player from New Zealand. She currently plays for the Townsville Fire in the WNBL.

Kelly Louise Wilson is an Australian professional basketball player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marianna Tolo</span> Australian basketball player

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carly Wilson</span> Australian basketball player

Carly Wilson is an Australian former basketball player. She played for several teams in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL), including the Dandenong Rangers, Australian Institute of Sport, Perth Lynx and Canberra Capitals. She represented Australia at the Commonwealth Games, where the team won a gold medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tessa Lavey</span> Australian basketball player

Tessa Rose Lavey is an Australian professional basketball player for the Bendigo Spirit of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) and an Australian rules football player with the Richmond Football Club in the AFL Women's competition (AFLW).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darcee Garbin</span> Australian basketball player

Darcee Garbin is an Australian professional basketball player for the Goldfields Giants of the NBL1 West.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalie Hurst</span> Australian basketball player

Natalie Hurst is an Australian basketball player. She played junior basketball in Canberra and went on to play for the Canberra Capitals in the WNBL. With the Capitals, she won league championships in 2001/2002, 2002/2003, 2005/2006, 2006/2007, 2008/2009 and 2009/2010. In 2011/2012, she played for the French club, Aix en Provence. She is a member of the Australia women's national basketball team, with her first national team cap in 2009. She won a gold medal in 2009 at the FIBA Oceania Women's Championships. She is a member of the 2012 national team.

Kathleen MacLeod is an Australian basketball player who was part of the Australian team that won the bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren Jackson</span> Australian basketball player (born 1981)

Lauren Elizabeth Jackson is an Australian professional basketball player. Arguably the most notable Australian women's basketball player, Jackson has had a decorated career with the Australia women's national basketball team and has had multiple stints in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) between 1997 and 2024. Between 2001 and 2012, she played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cayla George</span> Australian basketball player

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kayla Steindl</span> American basketball player

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).

Alex Brooke "Ally" Wilson is an Australian professional basketball player for the Bendigo Braves of the NBL1 South.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sami Whitcomb</span> American-Australian basketball player

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.

Mia Suzanne Murray is an Australian former professional basketball player. She played 16 seasons in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL), winning three championships with the Townsville Fire.

References

  1. 1 2 Uni stoking Fire in sponsorship deal
  2. Side earn top city honours
  3. WNBL: Townsville Fire claim third title in four years with win over Melbourne Boomers
  4. "JCU TOWNSVILLE FIRE CROWNED WNBL CHAMPIONS". wnbl.basketball. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.