Free entry to Spirit home games as finals approach

YOUNG basketball fans will be given free entry to Bendigo Spirit’s remaining Women’s National Basketball League home games this season.

The initiative, for children aged up to 14, is part of the club’s aim to support the community and families during the holiday and back-to-school periods in the face of rising cost of living pressures.

The club is hoping to see Red Energy Arena packed with supporters as it pushes for a home court advantage in the upcoming finals.

The Spirit’s last two home games before the finals are scheduled for 24 January and 2 February, against Adelaide Lightning and Geelong United respectively.

The free tickets program started at Wednesday’s game against Perth’s Lynx, which was a top-two clash.

Spirit has already made certain of a finals spot, defeating the Sydney Flames in Mildura last weekend, but the remaining games could have an influence on where finals will be played.

Of particular interest as the finals approach has been local favourite Kelly Wilson’s move towards breaking the league’s all-time assists record. Going into Wednesday’s match, Wilson needed just one more assist to break Kristen Veal’s record of 1617.

Spirit general manager Dan Jackson expressed excitement about the free tickets initiative.

“We understand that this time of year can be tough for many families, and we want to make it easier for our community to come out and enjoy world-class basketball,” he said.

“This is our way of saying thank you for your support and making sure as many kids as possible can join us at Red Energy Arena.

“Let’s fill the stands and show our ‘Spirit’ as we aim to secure home court advantage for the finals.”

While the tickets are free, they must still be obtained pre-game through the Ticketek website.