The debut of the league's newest outfit, return to an iconic venue and tantalising match-ups headline the 45th instalment of the WNBL season with the 2024-25 fixture unveiled today.
Geelong United, who took over Melbourne Boomers' WNBL license in May, will take centre stage on opening night when they host Townsville Fire on Wednesday October 30 at Geelong Arena.
United, under inaugural coach, former Boomers mentor and two-time champion Chris Lucas, are building a strong roster with local talent Keely Froling, Gemma Potter, Jaz Shelley and Monique Conti plus the import signing last week of WNBA guard, 2023 No. 6 draft selection and 2021 NCAA champion Haley Jones.
The first game of the season will also see the Froling twins who joined new teams in the offseason, Keely crossing from Melbourne to Geelong and Alicia leaving Bendigo for her home-town team Townsville, face off in a highly-anticipated showdown.
The Fire will unleash a new-line up in Geelong featuring No.4 WNBA selection Jacy Sheldon (Dallas Wings) and rising Aussie stars Alex Fowler, Lucy Cochrane and Abbey Ellis who join Australian under-19 representative Saffron Shiels.
After a residency at the National Conventional Centre, the UC Capitals return to their spiritual home at the AIS where they will play all 11 home games at the Arena.
The Caps last played at The Palace, which has undergone a $15 million upgrade, in 2019-20 when they claimed their last title.
Canberra's first home game against Bendigo in Round 2 will see Paul Gorris regain the reins of the club he led to back-to-back titles at the venue in 2018-19 and 2019-20 plus the return of triple Olympian Marianna Tolo to the nation's capital. The boom Spirit signing has only ever played for the AIS and then the Capitals in her decade-long WNBL career. Until now.
Tolo is one of 9 Paris Olympians, from the bronze-medal winning Opals and 3x3 Gangurrus who has signed to play in the upcoming season alongside Steph Talbot and Isobel Borlase (Adelaide Lightning), Amy Atwell, Ally Wilson and Anneli Maley (Perth Lynx), Lauren Mansfield (Townsville Fire), Cayla George (Sydney) and Jade Melbourne (UC Capitals).
Ezi Magbegor, Alanna Smith and Marena Whittle will play in Europe while Lauren Jackson, Sami Whitcomb, Kristy Wallace and Tess Madgen are yet to confirm their plans for 2024-25.
Four-time Olympic medallist, two-time WNBL champ and 2009-10 league MVP Kristi Harrower will officially make her league head coaching debut on November 2 when the Southside Flyers play the Lynx in Perth in a rematch of last season's epic Grand Final series.
The Flyers will unfurl their championship the following week in Round 2 at the State Basketball Centre when they host the Sydney Flames on November 9.
The 85-game, 15-round season will be contested across 13 venues.
The Flames will be part of four double-headers with their basketball brother Sydney Kings at Qudos Bank Arena with Perth Lynx taking centre stage at HBF Arena for three games.
The campaign will culminate in two best-of-three semifinal series beginning on Saturday February 25 with the Grand Final series set for Wednesday March 5, Sunday March 9 and a deciding third game on Wednesday March 1, if required.
Watch WNBL Wednesday fixtures LIVE on ESPN