WNBL could have Brisbane team as soon as next season

A Brisbane team could enter the WNBL as soon as next season as the league identifies New Zealand as a possible target for subsequent expansion.

The Brisbane Bullets NBL team has launched one of two Brisbane bids for the WNBL's 10th licence, backed in part by WNBA superstar Angel Reese.

The Bullets were previously hopeful of being ready in time for the 2026/27 campaign before the Tasmania Jewels were granted the league's ninth licence for the season beginning October.

But WNBL chief operating officer Justin Nelson said the league could expand again in a little more than a year's time, with Brisbane the clear front-runner.

"I'd like to see Brisbane in the WNBL as early as next season," Nelson told AAP.

"I never put timelines on when clubs are ready to enter a national league. I think it's always about infrastructure, it's about resources and vision and it is a lot about location and what benefits the league as well.

"(But) I think Brisbane is an incredible hotbed for basketball participation, especially girls."

The South-East Queensland region last held a WNBL licence in 2016, when financial difficulties forced the Logan-based Stars to fold after one season.

But Brisbane has since built a compelling case for re-entry, with Basketball Queensland reporting a 101 per cent increase in participation in the six years to November 2025.

South-East Queensland itself is in the midst of a population boom, while the WNBL sees sponsorship opportunities in the number of companies based in the region.

Brisbane is primed for investment into sport given the upcoming 2032 Olympics, which are set to feature men's and women's basketball.

The Bullets' bid is particularly enticing because the WNBL team would have access to the men's pre-existing high-performance facilities in South Brisbane.

The hypothetical team would have the chance to play double-headers with the men's side, a format that has worked successfully for the Sydney Kings and Flames.

They would likely play other home games at Nissan Arena, the 5000-seat stadium near Griffith University that hosted the Bullets until 2024.