Seebohm’s Fire: Depth, defense & two new sparks

• ‍New Wave: Meet the WNBL26 import players‍
• 2025-26 WNBL Team Lists and Roster Tracker‍
• Club-by-club: Every NBL1 player in WNBL26

Townsville Fire has re-stoked its roster for WNBL26 — bringing back six core players that fell short of the 2024-25 championship in the Grand Final Series against Bendigo Spirit while adding elite guards Miela Sowah and Lucy Olsen.

“We built strong chemistry within the group and improved a lot across the year — especially in our offense, transition game, ball movement, and reads against different defensive coverages,” five-time WNBL coach of the Year Shannon Seebohm told WNBL.com.au.

“My hope is that we take that to another level this season and build upon what we accomplished.”

basketball.com.au WNBL expert Hayley Wildes has declared: "(Lauren Cox and Lucy Olsen) are the best import duo in the league and perhaps the biggest challenge for coach Shannon Seebohm will be trying to spread the minutes across a team with incredible depth and star power."

Olsen, 22, was selected by the Washington Mystics with the 23rd pick of the 2025 Draft after four standout years in NCAA women's basketball at Villanova and Iowa.

She played in 41 games during her rookie year, averaging 4.0 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 12.4 minutes off the bench.

The point guard was First-team All-Big Ten (2025), Big East Most Improved Player (2024), First-team All-Big East (2024), Second-team All-Big East (2023) and
Miss Pennsylvania Basketball (2021). She averaged 15.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in her 137-game college career.

Sowah, 25, is coming of the back of an outstanding 2024-25 campaign with the Perth Lynx, earning WNBL Second Team honours.

Stability breeds success and with the return of Abbey Ellis, Alex Fowler, Alicia Froling, Courtney Woods, Saffron Shiels and star import Cox puts the Fire is position to go one better in 2025-26 given the defending champion Bendigo Spirit lost WNBL MVP Sami Whitcomb to Turkish side Besiktas.

Alex Fowler, 24, is coming of 2025 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup Gold Medal and MVP, Alicia Froling, 29, an NBL1 South and National Championship, while Abbey Ellis, 24, is the reigning WNBL Breakout Player of the Year.

Seebohm believed Ellis' WNBL off-season spent alongside Steph Reid in Victoria would grow her ability to run the Fire's offense in WNBL26.

“I’m excited to see her continued growth as a point guard, particularly in leadership, defence, and pick-and-roll reads,” Seebohm said.

“She’s one of the brightest young stars in our league, and I believe she’s going to keep reaching new heights now she’s settled into playing in the WNBL.”

Townsville Fire are four-time WNBL champions, capturing its last title in 2023. On exceptional off-season that returns its core and the addition of elite guard play make the Far North Queensland club an early season favourite.

The Fire host the league's first one-city pre-season tournament starting on Friday, September 26, 2025.

Townsville Fire 2025-26 Roster

• Abbey Ellis: Guard; 1.68m (5 ft 6 in)
• Alex Fowler: Forward; 1.88m (6 ft 2 in)
• Alicia Froling: Centre; 1.90m (6 ft 3 in)
• Courtney Woods: Guard / Forward; 1.83m (6 ft 0 in)
• Lauren Cox: Forward; 1.93m (6 ft 4 in)
• Saffron Shiels: Guard; 1.88m (6 ft 2 in)
• Dakota Crichton: Forward
• Miela Sowah: Guard; 1.8m (5 ft 11 in)
• Chloe Forster: Guard; 1.76m (5 ft 9 in)
• Lucy Olsen: Point Guard; 1.78m (5 ft 10 in)
• Piper Anderson (DP): Guard; 1.8m (5 ft 11 in)

INS: Miela Sowah; Chloe Forster; Dakota Crichton; Lucy Olsen; and Piper Anderson.

2024–25 Townsville Fire roster

• Nyaduoth Lok | G | #1 | South Sudan | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
• Saffron Shiels | G | #2 | Australia | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
• Courtney Woods (C) | G/F | #7 | Australia | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
• Alicia Froling (C) | F | #9 | Australia |
• Nia Coffey | G | #11 | United States | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
• Alex Fowler | F | #12 | Australia |
• Lauren Cox | F | #15 | United States |
• Abbey Ellis | G | #23 | Australia | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
• Jessica McDowell-White | G | #24 | Australia | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
• Lucy Cochrane | F | #30 | Australia | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
• Lauren Mansfield (C) | G | #33 | Australia | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)

Coaches

• Head Coach: Shannon Seebohm (Australia)
• Assistant Coaches: Marcus Wong (Australia), Miles Bench (Australia)

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, coached by Fire assistant Miles Bench. 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.