GOAT talk: How the WNBL can reach new heights

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The greatest Australian basketballer of all-time Lauren Jackson believes the WNBL's next phase of growth will depend on charting its own course rather than borrowing a blueprint from men's sport.

Speaking on the Cut to the Jase podcast with Jason Cadee, the Australian Opals legend said women's competitions have too often been built around models designed for men's leagues instead of embracing what makes women's sport unique.

"I've said this before publicly, I don't think anyone nationally has done women's sport right," Jackson said.

"I don't think any of the domestic leagues have, and a part of that is that we've always sort of catered to the men's game and gone, 'Right, here's the model, let's make it work over here.' And it's different. It's just fundamentally different."

Jackson, who is helping shape the future of the WNBL in her role as Chief Strategy and Basketball Partnerships Officer, believes the league has an opportunity to redefine how women's sport is marketed and promoted in Australia.

"So in terms of how we sort of look at what we do next and how we're going to market the league and everything like that, it's all got to come from a place of... looking at what's happened in the WNBA and how the athletes have their platform, and how the WNBA can help sort of elevate that as well, and the WNBL obviously."

Rather than simply replicating established sporting models, Jackson says the league should focus on building player profiles, connecting athletes with fans and celebrating the personalities that make women's basketball compelling.

She believes that approach can help unlock the WNBL's enormous potential.

"It's going to be interesting to see how it all plays out," Jackson said.

"But I really think that we can become the premier women's sport in Australia."

For Jackson, the league's future isn't just about bigger crowds or stronger commercial returns.

It's about creating an identity that reflects the strengths of women's basketball itself—a competition built around authentic athlete stories, accessible role models and a growing generation of fans who want to engage with the game on its own terms.

WNBL27 is set to be the biggest season ever after an action-packed free agency period with talents such as Jade Melbourne (Bendigo Spirit), Alex Wilson (Sydney), Maddi Rocci (Geelong) and Amy Atwell (UC Caps) among the biggest names to switch teams.

It will also be the second season of the new ownership under the Wollemi Capital Group Syndicate and the NBL.