2020 WNBL season

Sports season

WNBL season

League| Women's National Basketball League
Sport| Basketball
Duration| 11 November 2020 – 20 December 2020
Number of teams| 8
TV partner(s)| ABC
Fox Sports
Regular season
Top seed| Southside Flyers
Season MVP| Stephanie Talbot (ADL)
Top scorer| Liz Cambage (STH)
Finals
Champions| Southside Flyers
Runners-up| Townsville Fire
Finals MVP| Leilani Mitchell (STH)
WNBL seasons

← 2019–20

2021–22 →

The 2020 WNBL season was the 41st season of the competition since its establishment in 1981.[1] The Canberra Capitals were the two-time defending champions, but were defeated in the semi-finals by Melbourne. The Southside Flyers won the Grand Final, defeating the Townsville Fire, 99–82.[2] The Flyers took home the franchise's fourth WNBL title overall, this being their first since rebranding as Southside.

Chemist Warehouse was again the WNBL's naming rights partner for this season, after signing a three-year deal in July 2018.[3] Spalding again provided equipment including the official game ball, alongside iAthletic supplying team apparel for the fourth consecutive season.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a North Queensland hub was set to host the season.[4] The season was originally 2020–21 and would be traditionally played over several months across the summer, however this season's scheduling had been condensed. The six-week season saw Townsville, Cairns and Mackay host a 52-game regular season fixture, plus a four-game final series (2 x semi-finals, preliminary final and grand final). Each team contested 13 games starting on 11 November, with the grand final scheduled for 20 December.[5]

## Player movement

[edit]

Main article: List of 2020 WNBL season transactions

## Standings

[edit]

#  | WNBL Championship ladder

|

Team  |  W  |  L  |  PCT  |  GP
1  | Southside Flyers | 11 | 2 | 84.6 | 13
2  | Townsville Fire | 9 | 4 | 69.2 | 13
3  | Canberra Capitals | 9 | 4 | 69.2 | 13
4  | Melbourne Boomers | 9 | 4 | 69.2 | 13
|  |  |  |  |
5  | Sydney Uni Flames | 5 | 8 | 38.5 | 13
6  | Adelaide Lightning | 5 | 8 | 38.5 | 13
7  | Perth Lynx | 4 | 9 | 30.8 | 13
8  | Bendigo Spirit | 0 | 13 | 0.0 | 13

## Finals

[edit]

Main article: 2020 WNBL Finals

| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Semifinals| | | Preliminary final| | | Grand final
| | |
| Southside Flyers| 106| | Southside Flyers| 99
| | | |
| Townsville Fire| 93| | | | | | Townsville Fire| 82
| |
| | Townsville Fire| 65|
| | | | |
| | | Melbourne Boomers| 62| | |
| | | | |
| Canberra Capitals| 68| |
| |
| Melbourne Boomers| 78| | |
| |
| | | | | |

## Statistics

[edit]

### Individual statistic leaders

[edit]

Category  | Player  | Statistic

|
|

Points per game | Liz Cambage (STH) | 23.6 PPG
Rebounds per game | Anneli Maley (SYD) | 12.1 RPG
Assists per game | Leilani Mitchell (STH) | 6.5 APG
Steals per game | Alison Schwagmeyer (SYD) | 2.2 SPG
Blocks per game | Liz Cambage (STH) | 1.9 BPG

### Individual game highs

[edit]

Category  | Player  | Statistic

|
|

Points | Liz Cambage (STH) | 35
Rebounds | Anneli Maley (SYD) | 20
Assists  | Tessa Lavey (BEN) | 11
Leilani Mitchell (STH)
Steals | Stephanie Talbot (ADL) | 7
Blocks | Liz Cambage (STH) | 6

## Awards

[edit]

### Player of the Round

[edit]

Round #  | Player  | Ref.

|
|

Round 1  | Stephanie Talbot (ADL)  | [6]
Round 2  | Liz Cambage (STH) | [7]
Round 3  | Shyla Heal (TSV) | [8]
Round 4  | Darcee Garbin (PER) | [9]
Round 5  | Lauren Mansfield (SYD) | [10]

### Team of the Round

[edit]

Round #  | Team  | Ref.

|
|

Round 1  | Maddison Rocci (CBR)  | Tess Madgen (MEL) | Stephanie Talbot (ADL)  | Cayla George (MEL) | Liz Cambage (STH) | [11]
Round 2  | Jade Melbourne (CBR)  | Shyla Heal (TSV) | Lauren Nicholson (TSV) | Lauren Scherf (SYD) | Liz Cambage (STH) (2) | [12]
Round 3  | Shyla Heal (TSV) (2) | Stephanie Talbot (ADL) (2) | Anneli Maley (SYD) | Darcee Garbin (PER) | Liz Cambage (STH) (3) | [13]
Round 4  | Katie Ebzery (PER) | Lauren Nicholson (TSV) (2) | Darcee Garbin (PER) (2) | Ezi Magbegor (MEL) | Liz Cambage (STH) (4) | [14]
Round 5  | Lauren Mansfield (SYD) | Rebecca Cole (STH) | Anneli Maley (SYD) (2) | Cayla George (MEL) (2) | Zitina Aokuso (TSV) | [15]

### Postseason Awards

[edit]

Award  | Winner  | Position  | Team

|
|
|

Most Valuable Player | Stephanie Talbot | Guard/Forward  | Adelaide Lightning[16]
Grand Final MVP | Leilani Mitchell | Guard  | Southside Flyers
Defensive Player of the Year | Stephanie Talbot | Guard/Forward  | Adelaide Lightning
Sixth Woman of the Year | Zitina Aokuso | Forward/Center  | Townsville Fire
Youth Player of the Year | Shyla Heal | Guard  | Townsville Fire
Coach of the Year | Shannon Seebohm | Coach  | Townsville Fire
Leading Scorer Award | Liz Cambage | Center  | Southside Flyers
Leading Rebounder Award | Anneli Maley | Forward  | Sydney Uni Flames
Golden Hands Award | Leilani Mitchell | Guard  | Southside Flyers
All-WNBL First Team | Katie Ebzery | Guard  | Perth Lynx
Lauren Nicholson | Guard  | Townsville Fire
Stephanie Talbot | Guard/Forward  | Adelaide Lightning
Cayla George | Forward/Center  | Melbourne Boomers
Liz Cambage | Center  | Southside Flyers
All-WNBL Second Team | Shyla Heal | Guard  | Townsville Fire
Maddison Rocci | Guard/  | Canberra Capitals
Tess Madgen | Guard  | Melbourne Boomers
Sara Blicavs | Forward  | Southside Flyers
Ezi Magbegor | Forward/Center  | Melbourne Boomers

## Team captains and coaches

[edit]

Main article: List of 2020 WNBL team rosters

Team  | Captain  | Coach

|
|

Adelaide Lightning | Stephanie Talbot | Chris Lucas
Bendigo Spirit | Tessa Lavey | Tracy York
Canberra Capitals | Kelsey Griffin / Marianna Tolo (co)  | Paul Goriss
Melbourne Boomers | Madeleine Garrick / Cayla George (co)  | Guy Molloy
Perth Lynx | Katie Ebzery | Ryan Petrik
Southside Flyers | Jenna O'Hea | Cheryl Chambers
Sydney Uni Flames | Lauren Mansfield / Alison Schwagmeyer (co)  | Katrina Hibbert
Townsville Fire[17] | Gaze, Murray, Nicholson, Payne (group)  | Shannon Seebohm

## References

[edit]

1. ^ WNBL official website
2. ^ "Flyers reach potential earn redemption for WNBL championship". wnbl.basketball.
3. ^ "CHEMIST WAREHOUSE SUPPORTING WOMEN'S BASKETBALL AS NAMING RIGHTS PARTNER OF WNBL AND AUSTRALIAN OPALS". Women's National Basketball League. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
4. ^ Elkerton, Matthew; Charles, Caitlan (22 September 2020). "Townsville launches bid to host bubble for upcoming WNBL season". TownsvilleBulletin.com.au. Retrieved 22 September 2020. "A council report has detailed a proposal to host, and be central to, the 2020/21 WNBL season within a coronavirus 'bubble'. It's understood the WNBL has plans to host the games wholly within North Queensland, taking advantage of state government grants funding."
5. ^ "QUEENSLAND SET TO HOST 2020 CHEMIST WAREHOUSE WNBL SEASON". wnbl.basketball. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
6. ^ "2020 Chemist Warehouse WNBL Player of the Round". youtube.com.
7. ^ "Player of the Round – Round 2". youtube.com.
8. ^ "Player of the Round – Round 3". facebook.com/TheWNBL.
9. ^ "WNBL - Darcee Garbin - "Player of the Round" for Round 4, 2020 Chemist Warehouse WNBL season". facebook.com/TheWNBL.
10. ^ "WNBL – Player of the Round – Round 5". facebook.com/TheWNBL.
11. ^ "Round 1 2020 Chemist Warehouse WNBL Team of the Round". youtube.com.
12. ^ "Team of the Round – Round 2". youtube.com.
13. ^ "Team of the Round – Round 3". facebook.com/TheWNBL.
14. ^ "WNBL - Round 4 "Team of the Week" - 2020 Chemist Warehouse WNBL". facebook.com/TheWNBL.
15. ^ "WNBL – Team of the Round – Round 5". facebook.com/TheWNBL.
16. ^ "STEPH TALBOT NAMED 2020 CHEMIST WAREHOUSE WNBL MVP". wnbl.basketball.
17. ^ "FIRE UNVEIL LEADERSHIP GROUP". wnbl.basketball. 11 October 2019.

## External links

[edit]

* WNBL official website
* WNBL Hub season fixtures

* v
* t
* e

2020 WNBL season by team

* Finals
* Rosters
* Transactions

Teams|

* Adelaide Lightning
* Bendigo Spirit
* Canberra Capitals
* Melbourne Boomers
* Perth Lynx
* Southside Flyers
* Sydney Uni Flames
* Townsville Fire

* ←  2019–20
* WNBL season
* 2021–22  →

* v
* t
* e

WNBL seasons

1980s|

|  |  1981 |  1982 |  1983 |  1984 |  1985 |  1986 |  1987 |  1988 |  1989

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1990s|

|  1990 |  1991 |  1992 |  1993 |  1994 |  1995 |  1996 |  1997 |  1998 |  1998–99

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

2000s|

|  1999–00 |  2000–01 |  2001–02 |  2002–03 |  2003–04 |  2004–05 |  2005–06 |  2006–07 |  2007–08 |  2008–09

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

2010s|

|  2009–10 |  2010–11 |  2011–12 |  2012–13 |  2013–14 |  2014–15 |  2015–16 |  2016–17 |  2017–18 |  2018–19

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

2020s|

|  2019–20 |  2020 |  2021–22 |  2022–23 |  2023–24 |  2024–25 |  |  |  |

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

*[ W ]: Games won
*[ L ]: Games lost
*[ PCT ]: Percentage won
*[ GP ]: Games played
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template