South Australian Government steps in to save Adelaide's WNBL team 'Lightning' 

Adelaide's WNBL team 'Lightning' has been saved from collapse and will continue to have a presence in the Women's National Basketball League after the South Australian Government stepped in to keep the team alive.

The Adelaide Lightning is one of the WNBL's most successful clubs, winning five championships since entering the league in 1993, but the club’s future had been in doubt.  

In September 2024, former owner, Pelligra (a property development company), informed the league of its intention to relinquish the licence to Basketball Australia in August 2024 at the end of the 2024–25 season. However, following the WNBL's announcement of a new ownership group set to assume control in 2025, Pelligra indicated it would reverse its decision. In late April 2025, the WNBL denied the Lightning entry into the 2025–26 season after declining Pelligra's request to continue in the league.

Amid the league's decision to decline Lightning owner Pelligra's request to continue in the league, the South Australian Government has this week agreed to fund a league-run team, with the government providing $571,000 to the club per year over three years while supporting the league in a transition to new ownership. The club has subsequently gained access to train at the newly-opened South Australian Sports Institute and moved its home games from Adelaide Arena to the State Basketball Centre in Wayville.

As of 8th May 2025, due to former owner Pelligra still owning the intellectual property of the Lightning name, there is no guarantee the club will continue as Adelaide Lightning in 2025–26.

However, SA Premier Peter Malinauskas is confident that issue will be resolved noting "I don't think there's a set a circumstances where there's not an Adelaide Lightning.

"Credit to the Pelligra Group, they have a lot of interest in sports around the world and have made a significant contribution here in South Australia.

"Knowing Steve Wren and Ross and Paul Pelligra like I do, these are good people who enjoy sports.

"I'll be stunned if we don't see the Adelaide Lightning name continue in perpetuity."

Premier Malinauskas said beyond the three-year agreement with the state government, he's confident in the long-term future of the club.

"This is a team that's got a proven track record of success, rebuilding that culture I think can happen relatively quickly with a right new owner."

Lightning legend Rachael Sporn shared “on behalf of the South Australian basketball community we are so eternally grateful to the State Government for stepping in and putting their full support behind ensuring that we continue to have an SA-based WNBL team.

“It is crucial that we have a pathway and role models to aspire to for our current and future junior basketballers.

“After so much uncertainty over the last few weeks, this wonderful news is exactly what we were all hoping for and that our rich history can continue in a national competition.”

Player education and coach mentoring through South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) will be provided under the new agreement, enabling the team to access world-class services and support.

The Lightning will also have access to office space, a training gym and court, as well as medical and physiotherapy support.

The State Government will also contribute $100,000 a year for the next three years to help deliver community-based programs which encourage and support girls and women to play basketball – and provide a pathway to succeed at the elite level.

The State Government will continue to support the Adelaide Lightning through the THINK! Road Safety partnership, worth more than $100,000 a year.

The new SASI facility includes:

• Strength and conditioning gym, featuring a five-lane synthetic turf testing space (three lanes are 60m and two lanes are 40m) and anti-gravity treadmill.

• Environmental chamber for athlete testing under a range of temperature, hypoxic and humidity conditions.

• Full sized indoor sprung timber court and half court movement studio, designed for instant performance analysis under individual and team modes.

• Physiology laboratory and athlete health rooms.

• Athlete recovery centre, complete with athlete nutrition zone, hot and cold pools and dual saunas.

Premier Malinauskas added “It was unthinkable that the Adelaide Lightning could not be a fixture in the WNBL. We won't let it happen.

“We are not going to get kids off screens and grow the number of active female sports participants if we don't have teams like the Adelaide Lightning promoting basketball and physical activity to young girls.

“The significant financial and in-kind support we are providing will give our elite basketballers access to one of the best high-performance facilities in the country, and will encourage more women and girls onto the court.

“This is a fundamentally good thing and will help inspire the next Rachael Sporn or Steph Talbot.”

WNBL Chief Executive Jennie Sager noted “Adelaide has a rich history in the WNBL, producing many star athletes who are also Olympians and WNBA champions.

“It was always our preference to keep a team here and we are incredibly grateful for the support from the South Australian government which allows us to do so.

“This outcome is the result of genuine collaboration, and I'd like to thank the South Australian government for uniting with us to protect and grow women's basketball in Australia.

“This is the beginning of a new chapter, and we look forward to seeing everyone in the community at a game here in Adelaide.”

Chair of Wollemi Capital Group and Majority Owner of the WNBL Robyn Denholm shared “we are proud to partner with the South Australian Government to build the new era of the WNBL ensuring the next generation of female basketballers have an elite pathway and competition.

“Our vision is to be a global leader in women's sport. The new WNBL delivers the largest investment in Australian basketball history including a Collective Bargaining Agreement that achieves pro-rata pay parity for our female athletes.

“We want to continue to build our world class talent here in the lead up to the 2032 Olympics and beyond.”

Image. Credit: WNBL