WNBL: Jackson hails league's revival

Australian basketball legend Lauren Jackson believes the WNBL is poised to take off, saying the women's competition is finally in the right hands.

No longer under the control of Basketball Australia (BA), the WNBL has undergone a rebrand, snared a new broadcast deal and increased player salaries after years of stagnation.

In April, BA relinquished a majority stake in the league to a consortium led by Robyn Denholm's Wollemi Capital Group Syndicate and Larry Kestelman's NBL.

So far, the extensive six-month revamp has seemingly paid off.

Southside Melbourne Flyers and UC Capitals kicked off the 2025/26 season in front 4342 fans at John Cain Arena - the biggest crowd for a season opener in the competition's 45-year history.

But the Melbourne venue wasn't the only one to boast large crowds, with fans turning up in Geelong (1310), Bendigo (1269) and Adelaide (1986).

The league averaged 1529 fans per game last season.

After limited broadcast options last year, fans will also be able to watch WNBL games either on the Nine Network, ESPN, Kayo, Foxtel or via the league's website.

Jackson, a seven-time WNBL champion and four-time MVP, is a part-time special advisor to the league's new owners and believes accessibility is key to sustained success.

"There's a lot more representation and the opportunity to really see them live is just incredible," Jackson said at Friday's Amazon Prime NBA season launch in Sydney.

"Finally, we've got a fair bit of investment in the league and the right people leading the way.

"It's a really exciting time for us. Really, really looking forward to seeing where it goes."

The minimum wage for WNBL players will also more than double under a new collective bargaining agreement that creates pay parity with the men's competition.

It will increase from $23,000 to $46,952 by 2028/29, equalling the NBL's minimum wage pro-rata rate.

Clubs' salary caps will also equal $723,500 by the end of the term.

"(The league) is going to continue to grow because people can finally see the value in it," Jackson said.

"The girls, they're starting to be treated the way they should be."

Fellow Australian basketball icon Luc Longley said he also wanted to see more investment in talent pools for the NBL, amid concerns over a widening gap in quality and competitiveness between teams.

Defending champions Illawarra have just one win from five games and suffered a 116-76 to South East Melbourne last time out.

Cairns (2-6) have four losses by 30 points or more in eight games this season.

Longley is part of the Sydney Kings' Hoops Capital ownership group.

"I'd like to see the NBL get increased parity so that any game, you don't know where it's going," Longley said.

"Rather than diluting talent, I'd like to see us enrich the talent pool.

"With the growth of the game and more income, more resources means you can invest in the players more.

"Keeping parity in the league is absolutely essential to the quality of our product."