Sports Desk
SYDNEY: The 2020 Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) season will be contested entirely in a north Queensland hub from November this year, Basketball Australia announced on Friday.
The 56-game regular season and four-game final series will be played between November 12 and December 20 in three northern Queensland cities, Cairns, Mackay and Townsville.
All eight WNBL teams will relocate to the northeastern state, while players and officials from areas identified as COVID-19 hotspots will arrive in Brisbane for a 14-day quarantine period before heading further north.
To support the delivery of the season, athletes have agreed to a uniform pay reduction of 15 percent with the exception of those already on minimum payments.
Basketball Australia’s head of women’s basketball Lauren Jackson thanked all parties that ensured the season went ahead during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The passion and commitment of all involved in the league and their unwavering love of Australian basketball are the core reasons why players, coaches, officials and club staff will be making significant sacrifices to ensure the 2020 WNBL season is contested,” Jackson said.
Basketball Australia CEO Jerril Rechter said it was crucial to deliver the season ahead of two important global tournaments.
“The support from the Queensland government ensures we are able to deliver the season in 2020, providing a stage for Australia’s best established and emerging talent to contest the 41st edition of Australia’s longest-running elite women’s sporting competition,” Rechter said.
“We all agreed it was critical to deliver the season… as basketball finds itself on the doorstep of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics where the Australian Opals are eying glory again and, just twelve months later, the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup will be hosted by Sydney.”
