Adelaide Lightning
{{short description|Women's basketball team}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Use Australian English|date=November 2013}}
{{infobox basketball club
| name = Adelaide Lightning
| color1 = #fcdc00
| color2 = #0f204b
| color3 = #ea0d44
| logo =
| nickname =
| leagues = WNBL
| founded = 1993
| dissolved =
| history = Adelaide Lightning
1993–2005; 2006–present
Adelaide Fellas
2005–2006
| arena = State Basketball Centre
| capacity =
| location = Wayville, South Australia
| colors = {{color box|#0f204b}} Dark blue
{{color box|#ea0d44}} Red
{{color box|#fcdc00}} Yellow
| current =
| sponsor =
| president =
| vice-presidents =
| gm = Bernadette Dodd (interim){{cite news |title=Bernadette Dodd and Tess Madgen join Adelaide Lightning. |url=https://wnbl.com.au/adelaide/news/bernadette-dodd-and-tess-madgen-join-adelaide-lightning/ |access-date=6 June 2025 |work=Adelaide Lightning |date=6 June 2025 |language=en-AU}}
| coach = Kerryn Mitchell
| captain =
| owner = WNBL
| championships = 5 (1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2008)
| website = [http://www.wnbl.basketball/adelaide Official website]
| h_body =
| h_pattern_b =
| h_shorts =
| h_pattern_s =
| a_body =
| a_pattern_b =
| a_shorts =
| a_pattern_s =
}}
The Adelaide Lightning are an Australian professional basketball team competing in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). The club is based in the city of Adelaide, South Australia, and will play their home games at the State Basketball Centre in Wayville from the 2025–26 season.
History
The Adelaide Lightning were formed in 1993 as a South Australian composite team following multiple Adelaide team entries in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) since the league's inception in 1981. The Lightning originally played at the Clipsal Powerhouse.{{cite web |title=Club History |url=http://www.wnbl.com.au/index.php?id=347 |website=WNBL.com.au |access-date=2 May 2025 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912032436/http://www.wnbl.com.au/index.php?id=347 |archive-date=12 September 2009}}
Under coach Jan Stirling, the Lighting won three straight WNBL championships between 1994 and 1996. After a runner-up finish in 1997, the Lighting won their fourth championship in 1998. They finished runners-up again in 2000. Between 1993 and 2009, the team played in the WNBL playoffs every year.
The club's captain during its glory years of the 1990s was Rachael Sporn. Sporn represented Australia at three Olympic Games, winning two silver and one bronze medal, and three World Championships. She played 377 WNBL games and was named MVP in 1996 and 1997 and was a key member of the Lightning's four championships. She was inducted into the Basketball Australia Hall of Fame in 2007. Her number 14 jersey was retired in 2007.{{cite news|url=https://wnbl.basketball/adelaide/news/rachael-sporns-no-14-jersey-returns-with-isobel-borlase/|title=RACHAEL SPORN'S NO. 14 JERSEY RETURNS WITH ISOBEL BORLASE|work=wnbl.basketball/adelaide|date=11 September 2023|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108131448/https://wnbl.basketball/adelaide/news/rachael-sporns-no-14-jersey-returns-with-isobel-borlase/|archive-date=8 January 2024 |author1=Minh }}
The team changed to private ownership in 2005–06, with Fellas Gifts taking over the club and renaming the team to Adelaide Fellas. After one season, the team was sold to Link Engineering, with new owner Vince Marino changing the team name back to Adelaide Lightning for the 2006–07 WNBL season.
In the 2007–08 season, the Lightning won their fifth WNBL championship with a 92–82 grand final victory over the Sydney Uni Flames.{{cite news |title=Rampant Adelaide score grand final triumph |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-03-08/rampant-adelaide-score-grand-final-triumph/1066374 |access-date=2 May 2025 |work=ABC News |date=8 March 2008 |language=en-AU}}
In the 2013–14 season, the Lightning entered a one-year management agreement with the Adelaide 36ers of the NBL, allowing the 36ers to oversee the club's marketing, membership, and sponsorship operations. This arrangement aimed to streamline resources between the two clubs.{{cite web |title=Our History - Adelaide Lightning |url=https://wnbl.basketball/adelaide/history/ |website=Adelaide Lightning |access-date=2 May 2025}} Following the 2014–15 season, Vince Marino relinquish the team's WNBL licence.{{cite news |title=Broke Adelaide Lightning given extra week to find investor |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-15/adelaide-lightning-given-extra-time-to-find-investor/6471910 |access-date=2 May 2025 |work=ABC News |date=15 May 2015 |language=en-AU}}
For the 2015–16 season, Basketball SA assumed control of the Lightning while seeking a new owner for the team.{{cite news |last1=Founten |first1=Loukas |title=Adelaide 36ers and Lightning merger saves women's team |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-23/adelaide-36ers-and-lightning-merger-saves-womens-team/7192624 |access-date=2 May 2025 |work=ABC News |date=23 February 2016 |language=en-AU}}
In 2016–17, the Adelaide Basketball consortium took over the club and appointed Chris Lucas as head coach. The consortium was later sold to Grant Kelley, who managed the team through the 2017–18 and 2018–19 seasons. At the end of the 2018–19 season—during which the Lightning reached the Grand Final, ultimately falling to Canberra in Game 3—Kelley announced that Adelaide Basketball would return the team's licence.{{cite news |last1=Sutton |first1=Malcolm |title=Lightning's fight for survival and possible finals fairytale the stuff of Hollywood |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-07/adelaide-lightning-turns-around-fortunes-wnbl-final/10782526 |access-date=2 May 2025 |work=ABC News |date=7 February 2019 |language=en-AU}}
On 5 March 2019, Bruce Spangler and a group of business associates were granted the licence to operate the Lightning for the 2019–20 season. Following the conclusion of the 2021–22 season, Spangler announced that ownership of the club had been transferred to the Pelligra Group, a property development company.
In September 2023, the Lightning and Rachael Sporn agreed to un-retire her number 14 jersey.
In September 2024, Pelligra informed the league of its intention to relinquish the licence 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.{{cite news |title=Adelaide Lightning in limbo amid stand-off with WNBL |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-30/adelaide-lightning-in-limbo-amid-stand-off-with-wnbl/105232820 |access-date=2 May 2025 |work=ABC News |date=30 April 2025 |language=en-AU}}{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Peter |title=Crisis averted: WNBL clubs join new owners {{!}} Basketball.com.au |url=https://www.basketball.com.au/news/wnbl-clubs-have-agreed-to-join-the-new-owners-of-the-wnbl-despite-11th-hour-crisis-talks-putting-deal-in-jeopardy |access-date=2 May 2025 |work=www.basketball.com.au |date=16 April 2025 |language=en}} In late April 2025, the WNBL denied the Lightning entry into the 2025–26 season{{cite news |last1=Crouch |first1=Will |title=Aussie basketball powerhouse on the brink of collapse |url=https://www.nine.com.au/sport/basketball/news-2025-wnbl-restructure-adelaide-lightning-situation-steve-wren-comments-20250429-p5lv8n.html |access-date=2 May 2025 |work=Nine |date=29 April 2025 |language=en}} after declining Pelligra's request to continue in the league.{{cite news |last1=Slessor |first1=Camron |title=Adelaide's WNBL team saved by SA government but no guarantees on 'Lightning' name |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-08/sa-government-adelaide-lightning-funding-agreement/105267472 |access-date=8 May 2025 |work=ABC News |date=8 May 2025 |language=en-AU}} As a result, all Lightning players were released from their contracts.{{cite news |title=Adelaide Lightning close to folding with only one thing that can keep WNBL in South Australia |url=https://www.codesports.com.au/basketball/wnbl/adelaide-lightning-close-to-folding-with-only-one-thing-can-keep-wnbl-in-south-australia/news-story/cd2d0037c45c44b71d402fa3bf8027e7?amp |access-date=2 May 2025 |work=codesports.com.au |date=1 May 2025 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250502054352/https://www.codesports.com.au/basketball/wnbl/adelaide-lightning-close-to-folding-with-only-one-thing-can-keep-wnbl-in-south-australia/news-story/cd2d0037c45c44b71d402fa3bf8027e7?amp&nk=f0843dfa10edf92f2aa15f823ee90d40-1746164637 |archive-date=2 May 2025}} On 8 May 2025, the club was saved from collapse after the South Australian Government agreed to fund a league-run team,{{cite news |title=State government step in to save Adelaide's WNBL team but it may still be the end of the 'Lightning' |url=https://www.codesports.com.au/basketball/wnbl/state-government-step-in-to-save-adelaides-wnbl-team-but-it-may-still-be-the-end-of-the-lightning/news-story/63561a2dc277be9265743e826f7bc628?amp |access-date=8 May 2025 |work=codesports.com.au |date=8 May 2025 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250508033839/https://www.codesports.com.au/basketball/wnbl/state-government-step-in-to-save-adelaides-wnbl-team-but-it-may-still-be-the-end-of-the-lightning/news-story/63561a2dc277be9265743e826f7bc628?amp&nk=79b7a6e0de38eda9d1a3459691c1e5e4-1746675524 |archive-date=8 May 2025}} 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 subsequently gained access to train at the newly-opened South Australian Sports Institute{{cite news |title=WNBL, South Australian Government secure Adelaide's future |url=https://nbl.com.au/news/wnbl-south-australian-government-secure-adelaides-future |access-date=8 May 2025 |work=nbl.com.au |date=8 May 2025 |language=en}} and moved its home games from Adelaide Arena to the State Basketball Centre in Wayville.
On 30 May 2025, the WNBL acquired the intellectual property of the Lightning name from former owner Pelligra.{{cite news |title=Adelaide Lightning to Retain Iconic Name |url=https://wnbl.com.au/blog/news/adelaide-lightning-to-retain-iconic-name/ |access-date=5 June 2025 |work=WNBL |date=30 May 2025 |language=en-AU}}
Season-by-season records
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align: center; width: 85%; margin:1em auto;" |
| rowspan=2 style="background:#eee; width: 10%;"| Season
! rowspan=2 style="background:#eee; width: 12%;" | Standings ! colspan=3 style="background:#eee; width: 15%;"| Regular season ! rowspan=2 style="background:#eee; width: 30%;"| Finals ! rowspan=2 style="background:#eee; width: 13%;"| Head coach |
|---|
| style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|W
! style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|L ! style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|PCT |
| colspan=7 style="background:#FF0000; color:#191970;"| Adelaide Lightning |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 1993
| 2nd | 16 | 2 | 88.8 | Lost Semi Final (Sydney, 59–64) |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 1994
| 1st | 16 | 2 | 88.8 | Won Semi Final (Melbourne, 84–82) |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 1995
| 1st | 16 | 2 | 88.8 | Won Semi Final (Sydney, 73–63) |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 1996
| 2nd | 16 | 2 | 88.8 | Lost Semi Final (Sydney, 54–57) |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 1997
| 2nd | 14 | 4 | 77.7 | Won Semi Final (Sydney, 58–54) |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 1998
| 2st | 9 | 3 | 75.0 | Lost Semi Final (Sydney, 42–61) |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 1998–99
| 3rd | 12 | 9 | 57.1 | Won Semi Final (Melbourne, 63–54) |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 1999–00
| 2nd | 13 | 8 | 61.9 | Won Semi Final (Canberra, 91–84) |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2000–01
| 3rd | 15 | 6 | 71.4 | Lost Semi Final (Dandenong, 71–83) |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2001–02
| 1st | 17 | 4 | 80.9 | Lost Semi Final (Canberra, 62–66) |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2002–03
| 4th | 12 | 9 | 57.1 | Lost Semi Final (Sydney, 70–72) |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2003–04
| 3rd | 13 | 8 | 61.9 | Won Semi Final (Canberra, 72–63) |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2004–05
| 4th | 13 | 8 | 61.9 | Lost Semi Final (Sydney, 93–94) |
| colspan=7 style="background:#0000CD; color:#87CEFA;"| Adelaide Fellas |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2005–06
| 2nd | 14 | 7 | 66.6 | Lost Semi Final (Dandenong, 70–75) |
| colspan=7 style="background:#002147; color:#adafaf;"| Adelaide Lightning |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2006–07
| 3rd | 15 | 6 | 71.4 | Won Semi Final (Dandenong, 66–61) |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2007–08
| 1st | 21 | 3 | 87.5 | Lost Semi Final (Sydney, 71–90) |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2008–09
| 4th | 15 | 7 | 68.1 | Won Elimination Final (Bendigo, 81–73) |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2009–10
| 6th | 13 | 9 | 59.0 | Did not qualify |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2010–11
| 9th | 3 | 19 | 13.6 | Did not qualify | Stephen Breheny |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2011–12
| 1st | 18 | 4 | 81.8 | Lost Semi Final (Bulleen, 70–73) | Peter Buckle |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2012–13
| 3rd | 18 | 6 | 75.0 | Lost Semi Final (Townsville, 53–60) | Peter Buckle |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2013–14
| 5th | 12 | 12 | 50.0 | Did not qualify | Peter Buckle |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2014–15
| 7th | 7 | 15 | 31.8 | Did not qualify | Jeremi Moule |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2015–16
| 7th | 10 | 14 | 41.6 | Did not qualify | Tracy York |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2016–17
| 8th | 3 | 21 | 12.5 | Did not qualify |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2017–18
| 5th | 11 | 10 | 52.3 | Did not qualify |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2018–19
| 3rd | 13 | 8 | 61.9 | Won Semi Final (Melbourne, 2–0) |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2019–20
| 4th | 12 | 9 | 57.1 | Lost Semi Final (Southside, 0–2) |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2020
|6th |5 |8 |38.5 |Did not qualify |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2021–22
|4th |10 |7 |58.8 |Lost Semi Final (Melbourne Boomers, 0–2) |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2022–23
|7th |5 |16 |23.8 |Did not qualify |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2023–24
|7th |8 |13 |38.0 |Did not qualify |
| scope="row" style="background:#eee;"| 2024–25
|6th |7 |14 |33.3 |Did not qualify |
| colspan="2" style="background:#eee;" |Regular season
| style="background:#eee;" | 402 | style="background:#eee;" | 275 | style="background:#eee;" | 59.3 ! colspan="2" style="background:#eee;" | 5 Minor Premierships |
| colspan="2" style="background:#eee;" |Finals
| style="background:#eee;" | 19 | style="background:#eee;" | 27 | style="background:#eee;" | 41.3 ! colspan="2" style="background:#eee;" | 5 WNBL Championships |
Source: [http://wnbl.com.au/league/media-guide/ Adelaide Lightning] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822095131/http://wnbl.com.au/league/media-guide/ |date=22 August 2019 }}
Statistics
| class="wikitable" style="clear:both; font-size:88%; text-align: center; width: 95%; margin:1.5em auto;" |
| colspan=8 style="background:#002147; color:white;"|Adelaide Lightning statistics |
|---|
| valign="top"
! colspan=8 | 2010s |
| width="4%"|Season
! width="8%"|PPG ! width="8%"|RPG ! width="8%"|APG ! width="8%"|SPG ! width="8%"|BPG |
| 2010–11
| A. Marino (15.2) | D. Walker (6.5) | A. Marino (4.2) | D. Walker (1.9) | D. Walker (1.9) |
| 2011–12
| S. Batkovic (24.6) | S. Batkovic (10.2) | A. Marino (3.5) | S. Batkovic (2.6) | S. Batkovic (1.6) |
| 2012–13
| S. Batkovic (21.0) | S. Batkovic (9.7) | J. Screen (4.3) | S. Batkovic (1.5) | S. Batkovic (2.6) |
| 2013–14
| L. Hodges (17.8) | L. Hodges (7.7) | A. Marino (3.4) | J. Foley (1.0) | C. Shegog (1.1) |
| 2014–15
| L. Hodges (16.5) | J. Screen (6.9) | J. Screen (3.7) | J. Foley (1.3) | K. Scheer (0.7) |
| 2015–16
| L. Mitchell (16.8) | M. Ruef (9.9) | L. Mitchell (4.5) | L. Mitchell (2.1) | K. Standish (0.8) |
| 2016–17
| L. Hodges (17.5) | L. Hodges (7.1) | S. Logic (5.4) | S. Logic (1.8) | C. Planeta (1.5) |
| 2017–18
| A. Bishop (15.7) | A. Bishop (9.2) | N. Seekamp (5.0) | N. Novosel (2.4) | R. Hamblin (1.0) |
| 2018–19
| N. Coffey (17.5) | K. Alexander (8.9) | N. Seekamp (6.0) | N. Seekamp (2.2) | N. Coffey (1.3) |
Players
=Current roster=
{{Basketball roster header|type=|age=n|wt=n|team=2024–25 Adelaide Lightning|color1=white|bg1=#0c2c52|color2=#ffcb3d|bg2=#b50000}}
{{player3 | pos = G | num = 3 | nat = AUS | first = Brooke | last = Basham | m = 1.72 |DOB = 1997-12-16}}
{{player3 | pos = F | num = 5 | nat = AUS | first = Georgia | last = Pineau | m = 1.85 |DOB = 1997-01-12}}
{{player3 | pos = G/F | num = 7 | nat = AUS | first = Stephanie | last = Talbot | m = 1.88 | note = C |DOB = 1994-06-15}}
{{player3 | pos = G | num = 9 | nat = AUS | first = Jess | last = Simons | m = 1.78 |DOB = 2004-04-11}}
{{player3 | pos = F | num = 10 | nat = AUS | first = Maddy | last = Freer | m = 1.8 |DOB = 2003-09-15}}
{{player3 | pos = G | num = 14 | nat = AUS | first = Isobel | last = Borlase | m = 1.8 |DOB = 2004-09-12}}
{{player3 | pos = F | num = 18 | nat = AUS | first = Ella | last = Gordon | m = 1.84 |DOB = 2004-12-09}}
{{player3 | pos = F | num = 19 | nat = AUS | first = Haylee | last = Andrews | m = 1.78 |DOB = 2004-04-11}}
{{player3 | pos = F | num = 21 | nat = USA | first = Brianna | last = Turner | m = 1.91 | note = I |DOB = 1996-07-05}}
{{player3 | pos = F | num = 22 | nat = AUS | first = Grace | last = Graham | m = 1.84 |DOB = 2003-12-04}}
{{player3 | pos = G | num = 24 | nat = USA | first = Japreece | last = Dean | m = 1.7 | note = I |DOB = 1996-06-04}}
{{player3 | pos = F | num = 34 | nat = AUS | first = Isabelle | last = Bourne | m = 1.88 |DOB = 2000-11-21}}
{{player3 | pos = G/F | num = 41 | nat = AUS | first = Tayla | last = Brazel | m = 1.82 |DOB = 2004-03-09}}
{{Basketball roster footer
| head_coach =
- {{player||AUS|Scott Ninnis}}
| asst_coach =
- {{player||AUS|Matt Clarke}}
- {{player||AUS|Georgia Crouch}}
| C = y | I = y | DP = y
| roster_url = https://wnbl.basketball/adelaide/players/
| accessdate = 17 December 2024
}}
Honour roll
| class="wikitable" |
| align=left
| style="background:#efefef;" | WNBL Championships: | 5 (1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2007/08) |
| style="background:#efefef;" | WNBL Finals Appearances:
| 19 (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1998/99, 1999/2000, 2000/01, 2001/02, 2002/03, 2003/04, 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2011/12, 2012/13) |
| style="background:#efefef;" | WNBL Grand Final appearances:
| 7 (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999/2000, 2007/08) |
| style="background:#efefef;" | WNBL Most Valuable Players:
| Rachael Sporn (1996, 1997), Suzy Batkovic (2012, 2013) |
| style="background:#efefef;" | WNBL Grand Final MVPs:
| Rachael Sporn (1994, 1995), Michelle Brogan (1996), Jo Hill (1998), Renae Camino (2008) |
| style="background:#efefef;" | WNBL Coach of the Year:
| Jan Stirling (1993), Peter Buckle (2012) |
| style="background:#efefef;" | WNBL Rookie of the Year:
| Kamala Lamshed (2002) |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://wnbl.basketball/adelaide/ Official team website]
{{Adelaide Lightning}}
{{Adelaide Lightning current roster}}
{{WNBL}}
{{Adelaide Sports Teams}}
Category:Basketball clubs in Adelaide
Category:Women's National Basketball League teams
Category:Basketball teams established in 1993