'Rich history': Sporn celebrates $1.7M rescue

• Adelaide will have a club in the WNBL in 2025-26 and beyond.
• New ownership of the WNBL took over in early April with a majority of clubs holding out joining
• All clubs agreed to join after undisclosed negotiations in mid April

South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas said his government will fund a team in the WNBL, constantly referencing Adelaide Lightning in the announcement despite the uncertainty about ownership of the Lightning brand.

Malinauskas committed to spending $571,000 a year for three years ($1,713,000) with the team training at the $88 million South Australian Institute of Sport.

"It was unthinkable that the Adelaide Lightning could not be a fixture in the WNBL. We won’t let it happen," Malinauskas declared.

"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.

"The significant financial and in-kind support we are providing will give our elite basketballers access to one of the best high-performance facilities in the country, and will encourage more women and girls onto the court.

"This is a fundamentally good thing and will help inspire the next Rachael Sporn or Steph Talbot."

Steve Wren from the former Adelaide Lightning's ownership — Pelligra Group — told basketball.com.au's Brayden Heslehurst it handed back the license last year with the understanding if no new group was found, Basketball Australia would take the historic club over, similar to when Basketball WA took over managing the Perth Lynx prior to the 2020-21 season until new owners were found.

Wren said Pelligra was involved in discussions to be part of the new league, under the new ownership, until March 20, 2025 but then communication stopped.

It then cast a dark cloud of uncertainty about the continuation of an Adelaide franchise in the WNBL, leading to speculation the 2025-26 would go ahead without them.

South Australian basketball legend Rachael Sporn said: "On behalf of the South Australian basketball community we are so eternally grateful to the State Government for stepping in an putting their full support behind ensuring that we continue to have an SA-based WNBL team.

"It is crucial that we have a pathway and role models to aspire to for our current and future junior basketballers.

"After so much uncertainty over the last few weeks, this wonderful news is exactly what we were all hoping for and that our rich history can continue in a national competition."

WNBL CEO Jennie Sager said: "Adelaide has a rich history in the WNBL, producing many star athletes who are also Olympians and WNBA champions.

"It was always our preference to keep a team here and we are incredibly grateful for the support from the South Australian government which allows us to do so.

This is the beginning of a new chapter, and we look forward to seeing everyone in the community at a game here in Adelaide."

The Wollemi Capital Group Syndicate (WCGS) and the National Basketball League (NBL) consortium finalised the agreement to acquire a majority interest in the WNBL in November last year with Basketball Australia retaining a minority shareholding.

But the transition has been far from smooth sailing. The April 2, 2025 transfer was marred by "crisis talks" between the clubs, new owners and Basketball Australia before the stalemate was broken in mid-April with all WNBL clubs agreeing to the consortium's contract terms.

The WNBL could also be back in Queensland's capital for the first time in almost 30 years with the Brisbane Bullets revealing plans to enter a team into Australia's longest running professional women's league.

basketball.com.au learned a long-awaited Brisbane women's team could hit the court in the WNBL as early as the 2026-27 season, backed by the NBL club's ownership group and management.

"When I came in as CEO, the ownership group gave me three priorities, and one was for the club to bring a women's team back to the city of Brisbane," Watts told basketball.com.au.

"The ownership group of the Bullets is fully behind this. It is crucial for the maturity of the club that we are heavily involved in driving community outcomes alongside Basketball Queensland for the growth of the game. For young girls to see their heroes, be inspired, and have a pathway to progress into a professional environment is so important."

Five Fast Facts about Adelaide Lightning

1. Established in 1993: The Adelaide Lightning was founded in 1993 and quickly became a powerhouse in the WNBL.
2. Five-time WNBL Champions: The team has won five WNBL titles, with championships in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, and 2008.
3. WNBL Legends: Adelaide Lightning is home to some of the greatest WNBL players, including Rachael Sporn and Erin Phillips.
4. Home Venue: The Lightning play their home games at the Lights Community and Sports Centre in Adelaide, South Australia.
5. Player Development Focus: The team is deeply committed to developing young basketball talent through community initiatives and youth programs.