Ninety-plus and counting: NBL1 fuels WNBL27

Image credit: Rob Sheeley @robshots

The NBL1 has established itself and built a reputation as a competition for aspiring athletes to work toward playing at the highest level of Australian basketball.

This year will see more than 90 athletes start the WNBL27 Season on a League roster, with the Tasmania Jewels, Southside Flyers and Sydney Flames leading the way.

All three franchises have 13 players suiting up who played NBL1 basketball in 2026, while the South is the most represented conference, making up more than half of this year’s cohort.

The Dandenong Rangers, Geelong United, Keilor Thunder and Bendigo Braves are the most represented NBL1 clubs this season, highlighting the wealth of talent in the South, while the Warwick Senators and West Adelaide Bearcats are also well accounted for with four players each.

Tasmania Jewels
Andie Smith - Hobart Chargers, Centre of Excellence
Brooke Basham - Cairns Dolphins
Chloe Broomhall - Hobart Chargers
Darcee Garbin - Cockburn Cougars
Ella Tofaeono - Townsville Flames
Georgia Taylor - Dandenong Rangers
Katie Deeble - North Gold Coast Seahawks
Keely Froling - Northern Force
Mia Jacobs - Mandurah Magic
Nikki Parker - Northern Force
Portia Chopping - Hobart Chargers
Stephanie Reid - Sandringham Sabres
Taylor Mole - Ringwood Hawks

Geelong Venom
Aleks Connolly - Geelong United
Alex Sharp - Diamond Valley Eagles
Dakota Crichton - Geelong United
Indiah Bowyer - Geelong United
Jasmine King - Geelong United
Lilly Rotunno - Geelong United
Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard - Warwick Senators
Maddi Rocci - Keilor Thunder
Millicent McCarthy - Waverley Falcons
Poppy Stevens - Geelong United
Sara-Rose Smith - Eltham Wildcats

Adelaide Lightning
Zitina Aokuso - Melbourne Tigers
Tayla Brazel - Sturt Sabres
Elissa Brett - Ballarat Miners
Aspen Crase - Centre of Excellence
Coco Hodges - West Adelaide Bearcats
Jess McDowell-White - Southern Districts Spartans
Kiara Waite - Warwick Senators
Sienna Lehmann - West Adelaide Bearcats

Bendigo Spirit
Georgia Booth - Bendigo Braves
Kelsey Griffin - Bendigo Braves
Catherine MacGregor - Dandenong Rangers
Olivia Olechnowicz - Centre of Excellence
Olivia Pollerd - Bendigo Braves
Kelsey Rees - Mount Gambier Pioneers
Casey Samuels - Ballarat Miners
Abbey Wehrung - Ballarat Miners
Kelly Wilson - Bendigo Braves

Perth Lynx
Samantha Ashby - Perth Redbacks
Alex Ciabattoni - West Adelaide Bearcats
Steph Gorman - Cockburn Cougars
Anneli Maley - Perth Redbacks
Teige Morrell - Rockingham Flames
Haley Peters - Dandenong Rangers
Reece Anticevic - Centre of Excellence
Kyana Weir - Warwick Senators
Brooke Malone - East Perth Eagles
Chloe Hodges - West Adelaide Bearcats

Southside Flyers
Haylee Andrews - Kilsyth Cobras
Macey Boyle - Keilor Thunder
Lara Edmanson - Mount Gambier Pioneers
Carly Ernst - Waverley Falcons
Holly Griffiths - Dandenong Rangers
Hannah Hank - Bendigo Braves
Tess Heal - Keilor Thunder
Claire Jacobs - Mandurah Magic
Saffron Shiels - Newcastle Falcons
Isobelle Wightman - Keilor Thunder
Madi Ryan - Sandringham Sabres
Nela Fakalata - Dandenong Rangers
Lucy Cochrane - Sandringham Sabres

Sydney Flames
Issy Bourne - Keilor Thunder
Charlise Dunn - Nunawading Spectres
Agnes Emma-Nnopu - Knox Raiders
Zoey Miller - Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
Issy Morgan - Norths Bears
Lauren Nicholson - Sutherland Sharks
Alex Oliver - Sydney Comets
Kaila Proctor - Bankstown Bruins
Darcy Rees - Illawarra Hawks
Peggy Schell - Norths Bears
Jaz Shelley - Norths Bears
Yang Shuyu - Melbourne Tigers
Shaneice Swain - Knox Raiders

Townsville Fire
Cheyenne Bobongie - Mackay Meteorettes
Emma Clarke - Ringwood Hawks
Abbey Ellis - Diamond Valley Eagles
Catelyn Van Es - Kilsyth Cobras
Chloe Forster - Warwick Senators
Alex Fowler - Willetton Tigers
Alicia Froling - Knox Raiders
Bree Stephens - Townsville Flames
Courtney Woods - Townsville Flames
Antoniette Emma-Nnopu - North Gold Coast Seahawks

UC Capitals
Amy Atwell - Rockingham Flames
Jasmyn Boutzos - Canberra Gunners
Isabella Brancatisano - Melbourne Tigers
Zara Funnell - Canberra Gunners
Caitlyn Jones - Canberra Gunners
Nicole Munger - Newcastle Falcons
Isabel Palmer - Sunshine Coast Phoenix
Nyadiew Puoch - Dandenong Rangers
Manuela Puoch - Dandenong Rangers
Sharne Robati - Casey Cavaliers
Charlotte Whittaker - South West Metro Pirates

The WNBL27 season tips off at 7pm AEDT on Thursday, October 15, starting with the Tasmania Jewels’ WNBL debut, hosting the Geelong Venom at the MyState Bank Arena.