Sport
30 October, 2020
WNBL Season Draw
The 2020 Chemist Warehouse WNBL season will be like no other, with North Queensland to host a revised season model featuring 60 games of world-class women’s basketball inside six-weeks from November 11 to December 20.
Through the support of the Queensland Government along with Cairns Regional Council, Mackay Regional Council and the City of Townsville, sporting fans and event-goers alike will be able to cheer on Australia’s best established and emerging female basketballers as they contest the 2020 season exclusively out of a North Queensland hub.
McDonald’s Mackay Multi-Sports Stadium will host four double-headers. Over the course of the regular season, Townsville will host four standalone games, 12 double-headers culminating with a double-header on Sunday 13 December.
With the fixture now confirmed, Cairns Pop-Up Arena will play host to 20 games in all, comprising of eight double-headers and four standalone encounters.
First up for Far North Queensland fans will be a double-header on Saturday 21 November involving the Jayco Southside Flyers and Perth Lynx at 6.30pm (local), closely followed by UC Capitals and the Brydens Sydney Uni Flames at 8.30pm (local). All eight teams will feature in at least two games while in the Tropics, with JCU Townsville Fire vs Villawood Properties Bendigo Spirit (5.00pm local) and Adelaide Lightning vs Deakin Melbourne Boomers (7:00pm local) completing proceedings in Cairns on Friday 11 December.
Basketball Australia Head of Women in Basketball Lauren Jackson AO said fans are in for a feast of elite basketball when Australia’s longest-running elite women’s sporting league tips off for 2020.
“Today marks an important milestone for the 2020 Chemist Warehouse WNBL season with the release of the fixture, which will see 60 games played over 39 days out of a North Queensland hub.
“It’s a challenging fixture that will test the depth of each team’s roster as they rotate through Mackay, Townsville and Cairns. “This festival of basketball will provide fans throughout North Queensland and further afield with the opportunity to see some of the best basketballers in the world including former, current and future Olympians.
With the league releasing the 2020 fixture, Basketball Australia CEO Jerril Rechter AM explained that it would not have been possible without the enormous sacrifice of many and the support of the Queensland Government.
“It’s important to acknowledge the significant sacrifices being made by the players, coaches, officials and club staff to deliver this unique season. Everyone is giving up a lot to ensure the season goes ahead in what is a pivotal period for Australian women’s basketball as we head into the Tokyo Olympics and 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Sydney.
For the 2020 season, the league will work to the Queensland Government’s indoor venue capacity rules which require a COVID-safe plan for each event. For game days involving all double-headers, fans will require just the one ticket to watch all the action.
Ticketing information will be released later this week when local fans should be poised to act, as demand is expected to be high across all three cities.
Click HERE to view the full season draw
