NBL1 North champions to host WNBL preseason tournament

Feature image: Judd Green

Basketball Queensland has announced four WNBL teams will descend upon the home of the NBL1 North champions, the Northside Wizards, for a preview weekend of the WNBL season.

The Sydney Flames, Townsville Fire, Perth Lynx and Adelaide Lightning will compete in a weekend of basketball featuring some of the best NBL1 players from last season. 

All eyes will be on Courtney Woods, the reigning WNBL and NBL1 North champion, Conference and Finals MVP will represent both the Wizards and Townsville Fire on her home NBL1 court. 

Some of the biggest names across the NBL1 competition will compete in the River City Rebound Series, with the likes of NBL1 National Champion Amy Atwell (Lynx), back-to-back NBL1 East Defensive Player of the Year Lauren Nicholson (Flames), NBL1 Central All-Star Five member Brooke Basham (Lightning) and NBL1 West First Team member Teige Morrell (Lynx). 

Basketball Queensland CEO Josh Pascoe said the tournament will be an excellent host for the start of the WNBL season. 

“Basketball Queensland are excited to be able to support this showcase of talent from one of the world's top women's professional leagues -the WNBL," he said.

“With female participation in basketball growing at exponential rates and women's sport garnering increased media attention, we feel that this event is critical in highlighting that the basketballers within the WNBL are not just some of the best athletes within in Australia, but around the world too.”

All the games will be live-streamed on Basketball Queensland's YouTube channel.