Hoops

WNBL review proposes shorter, Winter season

But allocating just $200,000 per team in today's world is totally unrealistic male or female.

That doesn't make money magically appear out of thin air.

Paul it has a lot to do with it, these women need to earn a living just like their make counterparts, don't be a chauvanist

To be honest, it's the clash with the SEABL and other state leagues that concerns me more about a potential move to winter. That's the conflict that would impact the majority of players in the league.

To me the Europe/WNBA conflict is a bit of a wash. Look across the last decade or so and there have been a lot of Opals and fringe Opals level talent that was not good enough for the WNBA but played in Europe. Names like Hodges, Bishop, O'Hea, Hurst, Tolo, etc. In the 2 years the trend probably favours the WNBA, but prior to that it was in the other direction.
Is the trend of the last 2 years sustainable? The financial situations of Logan, Bendigo & Adelaide might suggest otherwise. Will Dandenong still be able to throw huge sums to attract WNBA-level talent?

I reckon it's pretty hard to make long-term decisions while the state of women's basketball here is in such a state of flux.

No surprise on the fact the marketing suffered with no dedicated media person, but the fact nobody was held accountable for it...that to me is a surprise.

As for the reference to the WNBA and the season to potentially move, the report states that the WNBL is not competing with the WNBA, and hence would expect the players good enough should be playing in that league when at their peak (or words to that effect).

Although admittedly in most of the rest of the report it does make reference a lot to retaining the best Opals players to play in the WNBL wherever possible.

Also noted this:

There is a 2013/2014 WNBL Marketing Plan and WNBL Media and Communications Plan based around the ‘Step into the Spotlight’ theme from the previous season. Although these plans are solid, they do not seem to have been implemented. There is no direct responsibility or accountability for the implementation, measurement or success of the marketing plans.

And just ICYMI:

"There is no direct responsibility or accountability for the implementation, measurement or success of the marketing plans."

Wow.

I think a good portion of those recommendations could also just as easily be applied to the NBL.

Wildcats taking over the Waves would surely help on the off-court side of things (as well as access, presumably, to better training and development resources).

The winter season may not help though, removes curtain-raiser opportunities.