As a new WNBL season tips off in Australia, the league is hoping to capitalize on an unprecedented surge of global interest in women’s basketball, much of it driven by the captivating play of rising star Caitlin Clark. The phenomenal buzz generated by the 22-year-old American has helped propel the WNBA to record ratings, and WNBL executives believe some of that magic could flow Down Under to energize the sport domestically.
WNBL Poised for Commercial Boost
Heading into the 2024-25 campaign, the WNBL has already seen a significant uptick in commercial interest. According to head of league Christy Collier-Hill, sponsorship revenue has skyrocketed 61% year-over-year thanks to major new partnerships with brands like Ford, Foot Locker and Latina Fresh.
“This year, 100% it’s the year of women’s basketball,” Collier-Hill declared at the season launch event in Melbourne. She cited the “absolutely phenomenal” growth of the WNBA and predicted the rising tide would lift the WNBL as the world’s consensus second-best women’s league.
Aussie Stars Headline New Season
On the court, the 2024-25 WNBL will feature a deep pool of talent, headlined by 10 members of Australia’s Paris Olympics squad. Many of the Opals are returning home after stints playing abroad, joined by a marquee international import in former WNBA No. 1 draft pick Charli Collier, who has signed with the UC Capitals in Canberra.
Perth Lynx star and Tokyo Olympic 3×3 medalist Anneli Maley said WNBL players are excited to see the swell of fan interest that has elevated women’s hoops overseas finally start to reach Australian shores. “We know it’s only a matter of time before the hype of women’s basketball reaches the shores of Australia, and it already has grown so much in the last couple years,” Maley noted.
Young Guns Plot WNBA Futures
For ascending Aussie talents, the Caitlin Clark effect is providing a tantalizing glimpse of the WNBA opportunities that could await. Isobel Borlase, a 20-year-old guard for the Adelaide Lightning, is eyeing the world’s top league after being drafted in the 2023 third round by the Atlanta Dream.
“Getting into the league is hard and timing it right is important, because you don’t want to go and then get cut straight away,” Borlase explained.
– Isobel Borlase
The dynamic lefty said she is determined to use this WNBL campaign as a springboard, further honing her game through elite domestic competition with an eye toward the WNBA. Borlase specifically marveled at Clark earning major minutes as an impactful rookie, as well as fellow Aussie young gun Jade Melbourne carving out a consistent rotation role this past season with the Washington Mystics.
New TV Deals Boost Visibility
WNBL stakeholders are bullish that a new TV deal putting games in front of free-to-air viewers can sustain the growth trajectory. The 2024-25 season opener between the Sydney Flames and Canberra Capitals will air on 9Go, the first WNBL contest to appear on a primary broadcast channel in five years.
League pass viewership will get a bump from a content-sharing agreement with the WNBA, which will see highlights distributed on the American league’s digital platforms. With the WNBL serving as an increasingly attractive offseason destination for WNBA players, executives are wagering the cross-visibility can stoke already surging interest on both sides of the Pacific.
Vital Season for WNBL Future
The 2024-25 campaign shapes up as a pivotal one for the WNBL’s long-term outlook. A change of league ownership looms for next year when Basketball Australia will transfer control to a consortium headed by Tesla chair Robyn Denholm and the National Basketball League (NBL)’s ownership groups.
With the recent unflagging investment in the WNBA generating mounting attention and record-setting ratings, the WNBL is determined to demonstrate the viability of its own commercial model. If the infusion of returning Opals and imported talent can translate to a proportional increase in fan engagement, the league may solidify its perch as the undisputed second-best pro women’s league.
So as another WNBL season dawns, all eyes are on Australia to see if the Caitlin Clark effect will ripple out from America and carry women’s basketball Down Under to unprecedented heights. The pieces appear to be in place for a true breakout year. Now the WNBL just has to seize the moment and surf the wave.
