Hobart Islanders
{{Short description|Australian women's basketball team}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox basketball club
| name = Hobart Islanders
| color1 = White
| color2 = #00B13F
| color3 = dodgerblue
| logo = Hobart_Islanders_Logo.jpg
| leagues = WNBL
| founded = 1986
| dissolved = 1996
| history = Hobart Islanders
1986–1996
| arena = Kingborough Sports Centre
| capacity =
| colors = Light blue, green, white
{{color box|dodgerblue}} {{color box|#00B13F}} {{color box|White}}
| championships = 1 (1991)
| website =
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The Hobart Islanders (also known as the Tassie Islanders{{cite web|url=http://www.wnbl.com.au/www/genericpages.asp?gp=36|title=Final Standings (1981–2001)|work=WNBL|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011230231554/http://www.wnbl.com.au/www/genericpages.asp?gp=36|archive-date=30 December 2001}}) were an Australian professional basketball team based in Hobart, Tasmania. The Islanders competed in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) and played their home games at Kingborough Sports Centre.
History
=Hobart Hustlers (1984–1985)=
In 1984, the Hobart Hustlers were inaugural champions of the Women's Basketball Conference (WBC). In 1985, the Hustlers finished third in the WBC.{{cite web|url=http://www.botinagy.com/blog/flashback-99a-nwbl-wbc-1986/|title=FLASHBACK 99a: NWBL, WBC 1986|work=botinagy.com|date=30 July 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506001406/http://www.botinagy.com/blog/flashback-99a-nwbl-wbc-1986/|archive-date=6 May 2024}}
=Hobart Islanders (1986–1996)=
The Hobart Islanders made their debut in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) in the 1986 season, finishing tenth with an 8–16 record.{{cite web|url=http://www.wnbl.com.au/fileadmin/user_upload/Media_Guide/2011_12/Team_Profiles/10041_BASKAUST_MEDIA_GUIDE_2011-12_WNBL_BACK.pdf|title=2011–12 WNBL Media Guide|work=WNBL|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318214857/http://www.wnbl.com.au/fileadmin/user_upload/Media_Guide/2011_12/Team_Profiles/10041_BASKAUST_MEDIA_GUIDE_2011-12_WNBL_BACK.pdf|archive-date=18 March 2012}} The Islanders finished tenth in 1987 with a 4–16 record and last in 1988 with a 0–22 record.
In 1989, the Islanders finished second with a 16–7 record and reached the WNBL Grand Final behind league MVP Kathy Foster, who averaged a league-leading 20.3 points per game. In the grand final, they lost 80–69 to the Nunawading Spectres. In 1990, the Islanders again finished second with a 19–5 record and returned to the WNBL Grand Final, where they lost 72–57 to the North Adelaide Rockets. In 1991, the Islanders finished first with an 18–4 record and reached their third straight WNBL Grand Final. In the grand final, Robyn Maher top scored with 19 points to lead the Islanders to their maiden WNBL championship with a 67–64 win over the Nunawading Spectres at Kingborough Sports Centre.{{cite news|title=WNBL title goes south to the apple isle|date=15 September 1991|newspaper=The Canberra Times|page=14|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/122384416|access-date=19 July 2024|via=Trove}}
The Islanders dropped to eighth with a 7–13 record in 1992 before finishing on the bottom of the ladder each year between 1993 and 1995. In their final season in the WNBL in 1996, they finish ninth with a 2–16 record.