Geelong United Basketball (GUB) are pleased to announce the awarding of a license to enter the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL), starting from this coming 2024-25 season.
Starting from juniors with the VJBL, to BigV, and NBL1, the female participation and skill level in our basketball pathway has only been getting stronger, with that dedication leading to this expansion becoming a reality.
Geelong United Basketball CEO Mark Neeld is overjoyed for the opportunity this brings to female athletes across our region – “The profile of women’s sport as a whole is on a dramatic rise, and locally we’ve seen so many of these women doing great things, particularly in basketball with the NBL1. We of course see the growth in basketball firsthand, and want to reward our hard working female athletes with another amazing opportunity to play sport at the highest level right here in their own backyard.”
WNBL Hall of Fame member and 3 x Olympian Trish Fallon OLY is excited by today’s announcement – “I grew up in Geelong and went through the local pathways that took me all the way to the Olympics. Geelong has such a strong, vibrant basketball community and having a WNBL team will give girls of all ages the opportunity to aspire to playing at the elite level. I’m looking forward to heading down to watch some games and I encourage all of the Geelong basketball fans to come out and support the team.”
Head of WNBL Christy Collier-Hill warmly welcomes Geelong United Basketball into the League – “This is a great day for the WNBL, we have been working with Geelong United Basketball for some time and we are delighted to be able to announce their inclusion in the League. Season 2024-25 is going to be so exciting for the fans and we know that Geelong will really get behind their team. There has never been a better time for women’s sport with more fans than ever before. This is a great investment for Geelong United Basketball and we look forward to working together to raise the profile of women’s sport and provide more opportunities for young girls to play basketball.”
GUB wishes to also acknowledge and thank the ownership group that is behind making this license acquisition possible: The Deam Family, Anna Teague & Seb Loader, Jackie & Ben Riddle, and Belgravia Group (Lord Family).
This addition of a WNBL franchise under the GUB banner adds another exciting level to the already impressive Geelong United Basketball Pathways Program, and brings even more great opportunities to the female athletes of our region.
GUB’s mission is to promote lifelong activity, and this celebration of women’s sport now assists even more in inspiring female athletes of all ages to stay active for life.
