Basketball Western Australia

Governing body of basketball in Western Australia

Basketball Western AustraliaWestern Australian Basketball Federation

Sport| Basketball
Jurisdiction| Western Australia
Abbreviation| Basketball WA
BWA
Founded| 1946; 79 years ago (1946)
Affiliation| Basketball Australia
Headquarters| Bendat Basketball Centre, Floreat, Western Australia
Chairperson| Kyle Hoath
CEO| Fabian Ross
Official website
www.basketballwa.asn.au

Basketball Western Australia is the governing body for the sport of basketball in the state of Western Australia. It is responsible for overseeing the development, promotion, and administration of basketball throughout Western Australia. The organisation is affiliated with Basketball Australia and works with metropolitan and regional associations, clubs, and schools to foster basketball participation at all levels, from grassroots to elite competition.

## History

[edit]

The John Leonard Perpetual Shield

The Western Australian Basketball Federation (WABF) was founded in 1946 as the Western Australian Basketball Association (WABA). The WABA was formed by a small group of basketball enthusiasts at the Perth YMCA on Murray Street on Wednesday, 3 April 1946. The sport had already been played across the state for 35 years, but there had been no official management or promotion of the sport. John Leonard, a highly respected Perth businessman, athlete and two-time winner of football's coveted Sandover Medal, played a key role in orchestrating the first meeting.[1] The resulting winter competition played at Claremont Showground saw men's teams compete for the John Leonard Perpetual Shield.[2] In 1957, the Women's Amateur Basketball Association of Western Australia was formed.[1]

After the 1962 Commonwealth Games, the WABF's headquarters switched to the newly built Perry Lakes Basketball Stadium. The A Grade competition continued until 1972, when it was renamed the District Competition, involving seven association teams, although this was soon increased to eight. This format continued to 1987, although the competition underwent several name changes as sponsors began to show their interest. 1987 was something of a watershed year for the WABF, as the entire structure of the game in Western Australia was being reconsidered.[2]

The impetus for the rethink was the dire financial straits which the WABF found itself in the previous year. The Perth Wildcats had been a financial burden since joining the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1982, and at the end of the 1986 season, the WABF was $400,000 in the red. A task force was established to sort out the mess, and the upshot was that Perth businessman Bob Williams, sponsor of the Wildcats in 1986, purchased a 60 percent interest in the team from the WABF for $200,000. The WABF's administration was also restructured, with Alan Marshall joining as chief executive with a brief to put the WABF on a firm financial footing.[2][3]

A census in 1987 showed that 61 percent of WABF members were from country areas, so it was decided to try to include several country teams in the state's premier basketball league. However, this could not be done until the WABF had traded out its difficulties. Fortunately, the Wildcats had a hugely successful season in 1987—reaching the NBL Grand Final in their first trip to the finals—attracting much television coverage, which saw basketball's popularity soar.[2]

An immediate result of the sport's new popularity was the debut of McDonald's as a sponsor. The fast-food chain entered into a $150,000 three-year deal with the WABF, sponsoring the premier competition and funding an extensive junior programme.[2]

In 1988, it was decided to form a State Basketball League (SBL) for both men and women, and to develop it into an elite, statewide competition as soon as possible. This meant seeking out private owners and attracting corporate sponsorship, so as to not burden the association. As part of basketball's development, the Western Australian Institute of Sport men's team was included in the SBL under Warren Kuhn.[2]

Simon Leunig, who had been the WABF's development officer, was appointed general manager of the SBL, and set about organising an expanded league for 1989. His marketing strategy paid off, and three new franchises were established in country areas: the Rainbow Coast Raiders from Albany were the first, followed by the Batavia Buccaneers from Geraldton and the Souwest Slammers from Bunbury.[2]

The expanded SBL, which was limited to men's teams in 1989, was sponsored by McDonald's and Skywest, with a $65,000 grant from the State Government to help with travel costs.[2]

## Operations

[edit]

Basketball WA has had two ownership stints of the Perth Lynx that play in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL),[4] the first from 2001 and 2015[5] and the second from 2020 to 2024.[6][7]

Basketball WA is in charge of the Perth Wheelcats, who compete in both the National Wheelchair Basketball League (NWBL) and the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League (WNWBL).[8][9] The women's team were previously known as the Western Stars.[10]

Basketball WA's most prominent competitions are the NBL1 West and the Western Australian Basketball League (WABL). The NBL1 West comprises both a men's and women's semi-professional competition, while the WABL consists of multiple under-age junior divisions.[11]

Since 2014, Basketball WA has been in charge of the day-to-day operations of the Bendat Basketball Centre under a co-management agreement with VenuesWest.[12]

## Notable people

[edit]

### Chief Executive Officers

[edit]

Years  | CEO

|

2008–2015 | Rick Smith[13][14][15]
2015 | Christian Rice (acting)[15]
2015–2023 | Rob Clement[16][17]
2023 | Evan Stewart (acting)[18][19][20]
2023–2025 | Nathan Cave[19][21][22][23]
2025– | Fabian Ross[23][24][25][26]

### Presidents / Chairs of the Board

[edit]

Years  | President

|

2002–2011 | Elizabeth Woods[27]
Years  | Chairperson
2011–2014 | Elizabeth Woods[27]
2014–2021 | Keith Dunlap[27][28]
2021–2022 | Jennifer Riatti (acting)[28][29]
2022–2025 | Fiona Notley[29][30]
2025– | Kyle Hoath[30]

### Hall of Fame inductees

[edit]

The Basketball WA Hall of Fame was inaugurated in 2021 with 11 inductees.[31]

†  | Indicates those inductees who are now deceased

|

Year  | Name  | Category

|
|

2021  | Luc Longley | Player
2021  | Andrew Vlahov | Player
2021  | Mike Ellis | Player
Coach
2021  | Tully Bevilaqua | Player
2021  | Melissa Sinfield | Player
2021  | Rohanee Cox | Player
2021  | Andy Stewart | Coach
2021  | John Gardiner † | Player
Coach
2021  | Brad Ness | Wheelchair athlete
2021  | Tom Mills  | Referee
2021  | Elizabeth Woods  | Technical official
2022  | Justin Eveson | Wheelchair athlete
2022  | Melissa Marsh | Player
2022  | Mark Worthington | Player
2023  | Fiona Robinson | Player
2023  | Paul Rogers | Player
2024  | Ricky Grace | Player

Source: Basketball WA

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "HISTORY OF BASKETBALL WA". basketballwa.asn.au. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Hughes, Dave (1989). "Birth Of A New Competition – McDonald's State Basketball League Handbook 1989". Western Australian Basketball Federation (Inc.). pp. 7–9.
3. ^ Small, Marie-Louise (8 October 1987). "BOB WILLIAMS HAS THE BALL IN HIS COURT". Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
4. ^ "MEDIA RELEASE – PERTH LYNX". basketballwa.asn.au. 12 March 2020. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020.
5. ^ "Perth Wildcats purchase WNBL license". NBL.com.au. 16 April 2015. Archived from the original on 16 April 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
6. ^ "PERTH LYNX TO ENTER NEXT PHASE OF GROWTH". wnbl.basketball/perth. 12 March 2020. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020.
7. ^ "TRANSITION OF PERTH LYNX WNBL LICENCE". wnbl.basketball/perth. 13 June 2024. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024.
8. ^ "Roll with the Champions: Perth Wheelcats Tip Off 2025 Season with Eyes on the Title". basketballwa.asn.au. 26 May 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
9. ^ Pike, Chris (30 May 2025). "Coach of the Year has Wheelcats solely focused forward". authory.com. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
10. ^ "BE ACTIVE WESTERN STARS FEATURE". WNWBL. 21 April 2017. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023.
11. ^ Garlepp, Josh (15 April 2021). "NBL1 West and 33 divisions of WABL start this weekend as basketball exceeds pre-COVID strength". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 8 September 2023.
12. ^ "VenuesWest and Basketball WA to co-manage premier facility". VenuesWest.wa.gov.au. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
13. ^ "BWA Appoints New CEO". basketballwa.asn.au. 15 January 2008. Archived from the original on 5 February 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
14. ^ "Basketball WA battles government". PerthNow. 18 August 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
15. ^ a b "Member Update: Rick Smith Resignation". basketballwa.asn.au. 2 April 2015. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
16. ^ "New Basketball WA CEO". basketballwa.asn.au. 10 July 2015. Archived from the original on 5 April 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
17. ^ "Announcement – BWA Announces Departure of CEO". basketballwa.asn.au. 18 April 2023. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
18. ^ Randall, Michael; Logue, Matt (31 May 2023). "Basketball news: Billion-dollar Melbourne property developer Pelligra Group could save WNBL". Herald Sun. Code Sports. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024.
19. ^ a b "BWA CEO Announcement – Nathan Cave". basketballwa.asn.au. 31 October 2023. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
20. ^ "BWA Announces departure of Deputy CEO". basketballwa.asn.au. 14 December 2023. Archived from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
21. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (29 November 2023). "Dribble Podcast: New Basketball WA CEO Nathan Cave outlines his plan to retain WNBL licence for Perth Lynx". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024.
22. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig; Rogers, Samantha (21 December 2024). "Dribble Podcast: Basketball desperately needs more courts to allow thousands of kids to play the sport". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 20 December 2024.
23. ^ a b "Basketball WA CEO Nathan Cave retirement. Interim CEO Appointed as Recruitment Process Commences". basketballwa.asn.au. 2 May 2025. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
24. ^ "Basketball WA Appoints Fabian Ross as CEO". basketballwa.asn.au. 2 July 2025. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
25. ^ Fris, Justin (2 July 2025). "Ross appointed Basketball WA CEO". Business News. Retrieved 2 July 2025. "With the CEO of Basketball WA [Nathan Cave] announcing he was leaving, the board contacted me to see whether I could come on as an interim step while they went through the recruitment process. And I was very happy to do and support that. Obviously when I got here, I got to know the business pretty well."
26. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (8 July 2025). "New Basketball WA CEO Fabian Ross to focus on facilities and pathways to drive the sport forward". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 8 July 2025. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
27. ^ a b c "Elizabeth Woods Appointed to BA Board". basketballwa.asn.au. 7 August 2014. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
28. ^ a b "Basketball WA – Chairperson". basketballwa.asn.au. 15 December 2021. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
29. ^ a b "MEDIA RELEASE – BASKETBALL WA BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS". basketballwa.asn.au. 5 May 2022. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
30. ^ a b "Basketball WA Welcomes the Appointment of Dr Kyle Hoath as Chair of Basketball WA". basketballwa.asn.au. 24 January 2025. Archived from the original on 24 January 2025.
31. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (13 August 2021). "Basketball WA's Hall of Fame to induct 11 people including Luc Longley, Andrew Vlahov and Mike Ellis". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 30 August 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Basketball portal
* Western Australia portal

* Basketball WA's official website

* v
* t
* e

Basketball in Australia

Basketball Australia

National teams|

| Men|

* Boomers
* U-21
* U-19
* U-17
* 3x3
* Rollers (Wheelchair)

|

Women|

* Opals
* U-21
* U-19
* U-17
* 3x3
* Gliders (Wheelchair)

Current competitions|

| National|

* NBL (Champions)
* NWBL (Men's wheelchair)
* WNBL (Champions)
* WNWBL (Women's wheelchair)
* University Basketball League Australia
* Australian Schools Championships

|

Regional|

* NBL1
* NBL1 Central
* NBL1 East
* NBL1 North
* NBL1 South
* NBL1 West

State|

* Big V

Former competitions|

* ABA (Champions)
* SEABL (Champions)
* Women's Basketball Conference

Awards|

* Gaze Medal

Lists|

* Arenas
* Teams

Governing bodies|

* Basketball ACT
* Basketball New South Wales
* Basketball Northern Territory
* Basketball Queensland
* Basketball South Australia
* Basketball Tasmania
* Basketball Victoria
* Basketball Western Australia

Other|

* Australian Basketball Players' Association

* v
* t
* e

NBL1 West

* Basketball Western Australia

Current clubs|

* Cockburn Cougars
* East Perth Eagles
* Geraldton Buccaneers (Men)
* Goldfields Giants
* Joondalup Wolves
* Kalamunda Eastern Suns
* Lakeside Lightning
* Mandurah Magic
* Perry Lakes Hawks
* Perth Redbacks
* Rockingham Flames
* South West Slammers
* Warwick Senators
* Willetton Tigers

Former clubs|

* Rainbow Coast Raiders
* Swan City Mustangs
* WAIS Warriors

Others|

* Awards
* Grand Final
* Champions
* MVP

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