Why Australia is world's most dominant hoops nation

• Complete list of every Australian in the NBA
• Complete list of Aussies in the WNBA
• Every game of NBL and WNBL 2025-26 in one list

Australia is the most dominant basketball nation in the world ... wait, what? The United States, surely?

Australia will have 19 men's basketballers suiting up for NBA franchises in 2025-26 while there are eight women's basketballers playing in the WNBA in 2025.

That represents almost one of the world's best basketballers per head of population and considering Australia's population (27.9 million) is just eight percentage of the United States' 342 million, Australia's representation of 27 players at the highest level of professional basketball is quite simply extraordinary.

What's even more impressive is just 1.3 million Australians play some sort of organised basketball each year, which means we have 20.7 NBA and WNBA players per million players.

The United States boasts about 28.1 million people playing basketball and 535 NBA and WNBA players, which means they have 19.01 players per million players.

Australia has eight percent more NBA and WNBA players per million people playing basketball than the United States and that's despite Shaniece Swain being waived by Los Angeles Sparks, Amy Atwell by the Phoenix Mercury, Anneli Maley by the Sparks, Ally Wilson by the Chicago Sky and Shyla Heal by the Phoenix Mercury in 2025.

Australia doesn't have the most foreign players in either league, that feat belongs to Canada (29) but its population (41.5 million) is 48 percentage larger than Australia's.

France boasts 21 players combined in the NBA and WNBA but its population is about two and half times larger than Australia's while Germany has 13 players combined and a population of 83.5 million.

The United States has a decades head start of the rest of the world and boasts 1.56 NBA and WNBA players per head of population and a vast majority of the world's best players including ageing superstars Steph Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, as well as Anthony Edwards, Anthony Davis and Jayson Tatum.

But arguably not the best player in the world, Serbian Nikola Jokic, second best player Canadian and 2024-25 NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and third-best player in the world Slovenian Luka Dončić.

Parity is closing in on the United States

The world is catching up to the US in both men's and women's basketball with only Curry's heroics at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, saving the now 17-time gold medallists from a historic defeat. The US women's team escaped with gold by a solitary point 67-66 against host nation France while the men's team held off France 98-87.

Meanwhile Australia's national teams — the Boomers and Opals — are dominating Asia Cup in 2025 with essentially (without disrespect) their second teams as their NBA and WNBA players weren't and aren't in their 2025 Asia Cup teams.

The Australian Opals qualified for the 2026 World Cup, going unbeaten at the 2025 Asia Cup in China while the Boomers are on the march to the quarter-finals in Saudi Arabia.

Both the Boomers and Opals will feature NBA and WNBA players at the 2026 FIBA World Cup, which means our 12 best men's and women's players will compete for gold.

The depth of Australian basketball is only getting deeper with 17-year-old Dash Daniels, the younger brother of the 2024-25 NBA Most Improved Player Dyson Daniels, already featuring in NBA Mock Drafts and more than 50 under-23 players suiting up in NCAA men's basketball in 2025-26. including almost certain 2026 NBA draft pick and NCAA national champion Alex Condon at Florida State.

There are more than 90 under-23 women's basketballers suiting up for NCAA women's basketball in 2025-26. and more potential WNBA players coming through the draft and free agent signings as the WNBA expands to 18 teams by 2030.

Australian's in the NBA in 2025-26

1. ‍Kyrie Irving: Dallas Mavericks‍
2. Matisse Thybulle: Portland Trail Blazers‍
3. Dyson Daniels: Atlanta Hawks‍
4. Joe Ingles: Minnesota Timberwolves‍
5. Jock Landale: Memphis Grizzlies‍
6. Johnny Furphy: Indiana Pacers‍
7. Josh Green: Charlotte Hornets‍
8. Duop Reath: Portland Trail Blazers‍
9. Josh Giddey: Restricted Free Agent (Chicago Bulls)‍
10. Tyrese Proctor: Cleveland Cavaliers‍
11. Luke Travers: Cleveland Cavaliers‍
12. Dante Exum: Dallas Mavericks‍
13. Taran Armstrong: Golden State Warriors‍
14. Lachlan Olbrich: Chicago Bulls‍
15. Ben Simmons: Free agent‍‍
16. Patty Mills: Free agent‍
17. Alex Toohey: Golden State Warriors‍
18. Rocco Zikarsky: Minnesota Timberwolves‍
19. Akoldah Gak: Washington Wizards

Australians in the WNBA in 2025

1. ‍Rebecca Allen: Chicago Sky
   
2. Ezi Magbegor: Seattle Storm
   
3. Jade Melbourne: Washington Mystics
   
4. Alanna Smith: Minnesota Lynx
   
5. Stephanie Talbot: New York Liberty
   
6. Sami Whitcomb: Phoenix Mercury
   
7. Georgia Amoore: Washington Mystics
8. Chloe Bibby: Indiana Fever

The data shows Australia is right at the top of world basketball — if not right at the top — and is only getting better with more investment in player development, coaching and facilities. Even more extraordinary, basketball isn't Australia's No1 sport but it's closing in on cricket, Australian Rules Football and rugby league.

Watch out world, we're coming down the lane like a Johnny Furphy dunk in Summer League. (Yeah, that one).

About the Author

Peter Brown is the head coach of the Sydney Comets Women’s Youth League team in the Waratah Basketball League in NSW. He is also the assistant coach for the Comets NBL1 women’s team in the NBL East Conference. Peter is a 30-year journalist, starting as a sports reporter at the NT News in the early 1990s. He played junior basketball for the Northern Territory at national championships from U16 to U20 and for the Territory’s senior men’s team at numerous international tournaments. Peter has been a basketball fan since the early 80s, especially the NBA. Basketball is his passion — and his opinions his own. Email peter.brown@basketball.com.au with feedback. Any email feedback on articles sent to Peter can be published on basketball.com.au for others to read.