The SA Government has taken decisive action to ensure the future of the Adelaide Lightning, SA’s team in the Women’s National Basketball League’s (WNBL).
This move comes after the team faced an uncertain future when its previous owners surrendered their licence to Basketball Australia in August 2024.
Effective immediately, a new agreement has been forged with WNBL to manage the club’s transition to new ownership, backed by the South Australian Government’s commitment to provide both financial and in-kind support.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said, “It was unthinkable that the Adelaide Lightning could not be a fixture in the WNBL. We won’t let it happen,” he emphasised.
“We are not going to get kids off screens and grow the number of active female sports participants if we don’t have teams like the Adelaide Lightning promoting basketball and physical activity to young girls.”
Emily Bourke, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing, said, “The legacy of Adelaide Lightning will continue, and a new chapter in our state’s sporting history is about to begin. Our Government backs in women and girls in sport, and supporting the growth of basketball – starting at the grassroots level – is a key driver of these efforts.”
The partnership is set out to secure the long-term sustainability and growth of women’s basketball in South Australia.
Local sports legend and former Lightning player Rachael Sporn shared words of appreciation.
“We are so eternally grateful to the State Government for putting their full support behind ensuring that we continue to have a SA-based WNBL team. This wonderful news is exactly what we were all hoping for,” Sporn said.
The government will contribute $571,000 annually for the next three years to the club. This funding will contribute to player development and community engagement.
The Adelaide Lightning will now train at the $88 million South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) headquarters, a state-of-the-art sports facility in the Mile End sports precinct.
SASI will also be offering player education and coach mentoring, helping to develop talent both locally and across the country.
As well as state-sponsored support, the Adelaide Lightning is set to benefit from the THINK! Road Safety partnership, which contributes over $100,000 a year. The government will also allocate $100,000 yearly for the next three years towards community-based programs that promote basketball among girls and establish pathways for reaching the elite levels of the sport.
WNBL CEO Jennie Sager said, “We are incredibly grateful for the support from the South Australian government which allows us to do so. Adelaide has a rich history in the WNBL, producing many star athletes who are also Olympians and WNBA champions.”
Robyn Denholm, Chair of Wollemi Capital Group and Majority Owner of the WNBL, remarked, “Our vision is to be a global leader in women’s sport. The new WNBL delivers unprecedented investment including a Collective Bargaining Agreement that achieves pro-rata pay parity for our female athletes.”
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