Courts filling fast as women’s hoops grows

Participation in women’s basketball is climbing across Geelong, mirroring a broader surge in interest as the sport gains momentum nationally.

At the elite level, the Women’s National Basketball League has enjoyed a breakout 2025–26 season, drawing more than 200,000 fans to watch games in person – a 43 per cent increase – while digital audiences and engagement have also surged.

The league’s profile received another boost last month when WNBA star Angel Reese joined the ownership group of the Brisbane Bullets, backing the club’s push into the women’s competition.

That momentum is being felt locally. Geelong United has seen participation rise across all levels, reinforced by high-profile appointments and stronger pathways for female athletes.

The club recently secured Australian basketball great Cheryl Chambers to lead its senior women’s program from 2026, further strengthening its presence at the top end.

Geelong United general manager of community Emily Todorov said visible leadership across the sport was helping drive growth.

“We’re seeing some really good role models in all aspects of basketball,” she said.

“Not only the playing leadership group, but also quite a few strong female coaches coming through.

“My focus has been for the past few years in the referee space as well, that’s my passion. Creating an environment where females feel safe, by default it kind of increases numbers and participation.”

Todorov said local interest had been building steadily even before the introduction of Geelong’s top-level women’s program, but stronger links between elite and grassroots basketball were now accelerating that growth.

“The more we find the senior WNBL and NBL1 teams engaged with the grassroots programs and the junior girls, the more following they get and then that following and their friends come along,” she said.

“Girls play for different reasons; they want to come to a place to belong and have friendships.

“When their friends talk about how amazing the senior players are that they look up to, then by default, they just bring actions along.”

While participation continues to rise, facility access remains a challenge, with many clubs competing for limited court space.

“We’re pretty tightly squeezed for the actual competition, and I know a lot of the local clubs struggle to get efficient court space,” she said. “They’ve got multiple teams training on the one court.”

The new facilities under construction in Armstrong Creek and Waurn Ponds are expected to play an important role in easing that pressure and allowing for more dedicated training environments.

The Armstrong Creek Sports Centre is due for completion later this year, with the Waurn Ponds Sporting Complex expected to follow in early 2027.

Geelong United fields female representative teams across the WNBL, NBL1, Big V and VJBL competitions, alongside its growing domestic programs.