One of basketball’s most recognisable faces, Caitlin Clark, could appear in a game in Australia.
NBA deputy commissioner and chief operating officer Mark Tatum told world media this week of the potential of a WNBA game on Australian shores, citing the success of the NBA pre-season games in Melbourne last October and the nation’s love of basketball.
Interest in the WNBA has exploded in recent years, with superstars such as Clark, Angel Reese and Sabrina Ionescu driving the league’s maximum salary up to $US1.4 million this season. Australians Ezi Magbegor and Alanna Smith signed multi-year deals worth more than $US3 million [$4.2 million] each.
Both the US league and the NBL are keen for a major superstar’s team, such as Clark’s Indiana Fever or Reece’s Atlanta Dream, to headline a game Down Under, should a deal be reached.
In 2024, Clark sent the sporting world into a frenzy when she broke Pete Maravich’s long-standing record of 3667 points to become the all-time leading point scorer – male or female – in college basketball history. Last year, The Athletic estimated that Clark had delivered as much as $US1.5 billion to the WNBA after spending little more than one year in the league.
The Fever topped the WNBA’s attendance figures in her first season after consistently selling out games, and 15,000 tickets for her return to Iowa – where she made her name in the college game – sold out in just 40 minutes.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told US media in April her league was looking to play its first game outside of North America from 2027 onwards.
Australian greats Michele Timms, Lauren Jackson, Penny Taylor and Sandy Brondello remain much loved in the WNBA, with Brondello coaching expansion side Toronto Tempo this season, while 11 Aussies were on opening-day rosters, with several others either waived or moving between teams on short-term deals.
Last October, the NBA finally brought a team to Australia when the New Orleans Pelicans played pre-season games against NBL franchises Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix at Rod Laver Arena.
The NBL and league owner Larry Kestelman were the key drivers behind the Pelicans’ visit after lobbying the NBA for years, and they will continue to drive the push for future NBA and WNBA games in Australia.
“The NBL does an incredible job of running a league, and they did a wonderful job here, too, of hosting the Pelicans, of operating those games,” Tatum said.
“I would say it’s nothing but a positive experience there. Yes, at some point, we’ve been in touch with the NBL leadership about bringing more games there [with] NBA teams.
“But, by the way, what we’re finding from the market is a tremendous interest and demand for WNBA and women’s basketball, too.
“One of the things that we’re continuing to engage with the NBL on is how do we get more teams to come over and play in Australia. So, yes, it was a very, very positive experience.”
Kestelman said in October that he was pushing the NBA to bring more games to Australia, although the NBA has already filled its international schedule for the 2026-2027 season.
NBL Group chief executive David Stephenson told this masthead the league continued to talk with both the NBA and WNBA.
“The NBL Group is proud of its longstanding relationship with both the NBA and WNBA, and was delighted to host the New Orleans Pelicans in Australia last year,” Stephenson said.
“We remain committed to working closely with both leagues and are always exploring new and innovative ways to attract and entertain fans, while continuing to drive the growth of both the NBL and WNBL.
“The success of last year’s NBA x NBL Melbourne Series demonstrated the strong appetite Australian fans have for world-class basketball experiences, which we’re proud to be a key part of.”
The NBL is also a part owner of the WNBL. Bringing a WNBA game to Australia would help promote the local league, which still features a number of WNBA players each season.
When asked if a WNBA game could be held in Australia before another NBA game, Tatum said the interest was strong.
“There are no current plans today, but as I said, we’ve received outreach from Australia and the Australian market with a huge interest in hosting a WNBA game there,” Tatum said.
“As you can imagine, there’s a tremendous amount of demand across the world for WNBA games, as well as NBA games, so we need to take lots of things into consideration before we decide where we go.
“But there’s no doubt that [the Australian] market is a market that at some point we would like to play additional NBA games there and additional WNBA games.”
Engelbert ruled out overseas games this year due to the FIBA Women’s World Cup, which is set for Germany this September. Sydney hosted the last World Cup in 2022, with the Opals winning the bronze medal.
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