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 Southside Flyers, who won their fourth title and their first under their current name.
The University of Canberra Capitals are an Australian professional women's basketball team competing in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). The team is based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. In 2014 the University of Canberra Union took control of the Capitals from Basketball ACT. The University of Canberra is the current naming rights sponsor for the Capitals.
Erin Victoria Phillips is an Australian rules footballer for the Adelaide Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition, a radio host, and a former professional basketball player. She played nine seasons in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) for five different teams and is a two-time WNBA champion. She also represented Australia on the women's national basketball team, winning a gold medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women and serving as a co-vice captain at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Additionally, Phillips has played five seasons in the AFLW, in which she is a two-time premiership player and two-time league best and fairest.
Kelsey Michelle Griffin is an American-Australian professional women's basketball player. She was drafted 3rd overall in the 2010 WNBA Draft. Griffin played college basketball with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Griffin was named to many All-America teams and was the winner of the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. Griffin is currently playing for the University of Canberra Capitals in the Australian WNBL. Having obtained Australian citizenship in November 2015, Griffin pledged her allegiance to Australia before the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Abby Bishop is an Australian professional basketball forward/center who plays for Southside Flyers of the Australian WNBL. She has played for the Australian Institute of Sport from 2005–2006, the Canberra Capitals from 2006–2010, Dandenong Rangers from 2010–2011 Canberra Capitals. She is currently a member of the Adelaide Lightning (2016/2017). She is a member of the Australia women's national basketball team and won a gold medal during the 2007 Oceania World Qualifications series and a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
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. 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.
Tanya Fisher is an Australian former professional basketball player. She played eight seasons in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) and was a member of the Perth Breakers team that won the championship in 1992, where she earned grand final MVP. In 1990 with Perth, she averaged 1.0 blocked shots per game, and 1991, she averaged 1.1 blocked shots per game and had a .519 field goal percentage (69/113), also with Perth. Her final WNBL season came in 1997. As of the 2011/12 WNBL season, Fisher was in the top five all-time in the following categories for Perth: field goal percentage, free throw attempts (343), fouls (366), offensive rebounds (239), defensive rebounds (392), and total rebounds.
Kayla Maria Steindl is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Joondalup Wolves of the NBL1 West. 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).
The WNBL Leading Scorer Award is an annual Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) statistical award given since the 1981 WNBL season.
Natalie Burton is an Australian basketball player and coach. She is currently the assistant coach for the Perth Lynx of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). She represented the Australian national team and was a regular with the Perry Lakes Hawks of the NBL1 West until 2021.
Tracey Lea Rowley Beatty is a retired Australian women's basketball player, who represented the country at both junior and senior levels.
Samantha Allison Whitcomb is an American-Australian professional basketball player for the Perth Lynx of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) and the New York Liberty 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). 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.
Brittany Smart is an American professional basketball player.
Alexandra Antonietta Ciabattoni is an Australian professional basketball player for the Perth Lynx of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL).
Courtney M. Williams is an American professional basketball player for the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Williams completed her high school basketball career at Charlton County High School. She signed with the University of South Florida and enrolled at the school in the fall of 2012.
Antonia "Toni" Farnworth is a New Zealand professional basketball player for the Ringwood Hawks of the NBL1 South. She has spent most of her career playing in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) in Australia and has been a long-time representative and captain of the New Zealand national team, the Tall Ferns.
Ashleigh Isenbarger is an Australian professional basketball player for the Perth Lynx of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL).
Alison Schwagmeyer is an American professional basketball player for Crvena zvezda of the Basketball League of Serbia. She played for Charleston Southern and Quincy University before making a name for herself in Australia with the Lakeside Lightning in the State Basketball League (SBL) and the Perth Lynx in the WNBL. With the Lightning, she won a championship and three consecutive WSBL Most Valuable Player awards.
Jackie Young is an American professional basketball player for the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was drafted first overall by the Las Vegas Aces in the 2019 WNBA draft. A graduate of Princeton Community High School, she played college basketball for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, reaching two NCAA finals and winning one in 2018. She won a gold medal in Women's 3x3 basketball at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
