Tip-Off Talents: Each team's players to watch in preseason

• The WNBL's new pre-season tournament, the Townsville Tip-Off, will run from September 26-28
• Every WNBL game to stream free on 9Now under new deal
• 2025-26 WNBL Team Lists and Roster Tracker

It's full steam ahead as WNBL teams finalise their rosters, start pre-season training and the Townsville Tip-Off tournament approaching fast.

There’s been plenty of player movement, with superstar veterans finding new homes, while young guns have also been on the move as they hope to take their respective games to the next level.

There’s so much to be excited about for the upcoming season, and fans will get their first glimpse of the new-look teams at the pre-season tournament, which gets underway on September 26.

Let’s take a look at some of the players to watch at the event.

DALLAS LOUGHRIDGE - ADELAIDE LIGHTNING

Dallas Loughridge has made the move from Southside to Adelaide, and after a great season with the Flyers where she was a key contributor, the 21-year-old looks set to continue her rise with the Lightning.

Returning from an ACL injury last season, Loughridge re-established herself as one of the league’s rising stars, averaging 11.2 points and 2.1 assists per game while shooting an efficient 49.3% from deep.

Over the offseason, Loughridge plied her trade with the Dandenong Rangers in the NBL1 South and was a prolific scorer, recording more than 15 points in 18 of 22 outings and averaging 20.3 points, 4.8 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.

KELSEY REES & OLIVIA POLLERD - BENDIGO SPIRIT

Two Australians in Kelsey Rees and Olivia Pollerd, who starred in college basketball are returning home and will be kicking off their respective professional careers in Bendigo. The Spirit have had an offseason of change after winning the championship, with superstars Sami Whitcomb, Veronica Burton and Kelly Wilson all not returning for the 2025-26 season.

With that in mind, the Spirit have gone to work to rebuild their roster and I love what they’ve done. Adding Rees and Pollerd, alongside Olympic bronze medallist Isobel Borlase and import Megan McConnell - Bendigo means business once again.

For Rees, she returns to Australia having just improved each college season, highlighted by averaging career-highs of 12.9 points and 7.7 rebounds for Oregon State in 2024-25.

Pollerd spent three seasons at Santa Clara after a freshman year at Washington and became a standout on both ends of the court. A deadly three-point shooter, averaging 37.2% from deep over her college career, Pollerd is a polished scorer who averaged 16 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game last season for the Broncos.

Both will be key members of Bendigo’s frontline, alongside the likes of Marianna Tolo and Kelsey Griffin.

JAYDA CLARK - CANBERRA CAPITALS

The basketball world is about to be reintroduced to Jayda Clark. A superstar junior, cruelly her 2024-25 season was over before it began when she tore her ACL prior to the season getting underway, forcing her to sit out the entire year.

Clark, who is still just 20-years-old, represented Australia at the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Women’s World Cup and hit the game-winning free throws to lead Australia to gold in the final against Japan at the 2022 FIBA Under-16 Women’s Asia Cup.

She’s a star on the rise and didn’t miss a beat in her return to action, playing for the Perry Lakes Hawks in the NBL1 West. Scoring in double figures in all 16 games played, Clark was a pillar of consistency, showcasing her versatility by averaging 18.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

The Capitals have added plenty of firepower around superstar Jade Melbourne, highlighted by Opal squad members Sara Blicavs and Zitina Aokuso.

JAZ SHELLEY - GEELONG VENOM

After a slow start to life in the WNBL last year, Jaz Shelley really found her footing in the second half of the season and continued that into the NBL1 South season, where she starred for Geelong United and won conference MVP honours.

She scored in double figures just once in her first 12 games, but a breakout game against Southside, scoring 20 points, in early January catapulted her forward. In her final eight games of the season, she averaged 18.3 points per game.

Heading into her second WNBL season, Shelley will again be a vital piece of Geelong’s puzzle, and while her improvements on offence will be key, the work she does on the defensive end will be just as important.

STEPH GORMAN - PERTH LYNX

While Perth lost Miela Sowah to Townsville, you get the sense Steph Gorman is ready to step up and help fill that void. Gorman, who was a key part of Perth’s success last season, playing 24 minutes and averaging six points, three rebounds and two assists per game, is capable of playing a much larger role.

She was a defensive stopper for the Lynx, often tasked with guarding the opposition’s best player, but her offensive game is efficient and effective.

She shot 37.5% on threes for Perth last season, and was electric for the NBL1 West Champions, Cockburn Cougars. Shooting 44.6% from deep and being named NBL1 West Defensive Player of the Year, Gorman is a true two-way player, who joins the returning superstar trio of Anneli Maley, Ally Wilson and Amy Atwell in Perth for season 2025-26.

ISSIE BOURNE - SOUTHSIDE MELBOURNE FLYERS

The Southside Melbourne Flyers have added plenty of frontcourt firepower by signing a pair of Opal squad members in Cayla George and Issie Bourne. They will cause plenty of headaches for opponents and Bourne looks set to flourish after dominating the NBL1 South with the Keilor Thunder.

Bourne’s great form was rewarded with Opals selection for the Asia Cup in July and she, alongside captain George, helped Australia win the gold medal.

Bourne has all the tools to be an absolute star in the WNBL, and she refined them over the course of the NBL1 South season where she averaged 23 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

Playing alongside George will only benefit Bourne, and Flyers fans should be excited about what’s to come when they team up in the frontcourt, with Maddi Rocci calling the shots from the point guard position.

AGNES EMMA-NNOPU - SYDNEY FLAMES

Thinking of impact players across the league, it’s hard to go past the potential of Agnes Emma-Nnopu. She is just on another level when it comes to making hustle plays that earn her team extra possessions.

After a college career that saw her win a National Championship, as well as runs to the Final Four and Elite 8, Emma-Nnopu has returned home to Australia and will start her WNBL career in Sydney.

She heads into the WNBL season having played a key role in the Knox Raiders taking all before them by winning the NBL1 South Championship and then the NBL1 National Championship a couple of weeks later.

Her offensive rebounding is otherworldly and she will fight tooth and nail for any loose ball, while she is also a great three-point shooter, hitting 37% of shots from beyond the arc across her five-year college career.

MIELA SOWAH - TOWNSVILLE FIRE

After falling short last season in the grand final against the all-conquering Bendigo team, Townsville has sent a message to the rest of the league by adding one of Australia’s best guards, and someone who just continues to improve year on year.

The acquisition of Miela Sowah may just push Townsville to the top of the contenders list - it really is difficult to find a chink in their armour. Sowah will line-up alongside fellow Opal Asia Cup gold medallists in Alex Fowler, Courtney Woods and Abbey Ellis, while the frontcourt of Alicia Froling and Lauren Cox is proven. They’ve also added current Washington Mystic Lucy Olsen.

This Fire squad is going to be a lot of fun to watch, and Sowah will be at the forefront of everything they do. She drives relentlessly to the bucket and can score in bunches. Named to

the All-WNBL Second Team last season, Sowah returns to the Fire after spending the 2017/18 season in Townsville as a development player before she headed to Duke University.

About the Author

Hayley Wildes is passionate about all things Australian women’s basketball and loves to highlight the stories of players from all levels and competitions across the globe. From our own backyard in the WNBL, to the WNBA and the Opals, and everything in between, Hayley has you covered.