WNBL (Australia) 2026/27

The Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) is the premier professional women's basketball competition in Australia. It occupies the top tier of the national structure, sitting above the semi-professional NBL1. The league was established in 1981 as the Women's Interstate Basketball Conference before adopting its current name in 1986 following a shift to a national format. The competition operates as a closed franchise system, meaning there is no promotion or relegation between tiers. Matches are played under FIBA rules during the Australian summer, running from October to March. The regular season format involves a 23-game home-and-away round-robin. The four highest-ranked teams advance to a finals series, which comprises best-of-three semi-finals and a best-of-three Grand Final. The Canberra Capitals hold the record as the most successful club, with nine titles. The Bendigo Spirit currently hold the championship title, having won the 2024–25 season. The league structure is set to expand from eight teams to nine for the 2026–27 campaign. In 2024, Basketball Australia sold a majority stake to a consortium led by the National Basketball League and Wollemi Capital. Operational control transferred to the NBL in April 2025, facilitating commercial integration while keeping the leagues as separate legal entities. This arrangement marks a shift in governance, as the WNBL has historically retained its own name without a primary title sponsor in the league title itself, unlike the men's competition. Previous commercial partners have included Pony and Toyota. The league remains distinct in its scheduling, aligning with the off-season for the men's premier competition.