The Townsville Tip Off tournament has wrapped and ESPN'S Megan Hustwaite has all the preseason news ahead of WNBL26 which tips off on October 18 with every game of the season live on ESPN and Disney+.
KADI TO SHACK UP INSIDE
She's been labelled a unicorn for her unique on-court abilities and French import Kadi Sissoko will be required to produce some magic for the UC Capitals following a knee injury to centre Zitina Aokuso.
Aokuso, part of the Opals' FIBA Asia Cup gold medal win in August, hurt her right knee in Townsville last weekend, is in a brace for the next fortnight, and will be assessed in two-week blocks.
Caps coach Paul Goriss said Sissoko, who's earned praise for her athleticism, versatility and ability to play across positions, would help shoulder the load alongside Teige Morrell, who's joined from Perth.
"We played a little bit in the second game (of last week's preseason tournament) against Perth with Kadi at the five to see what it may look like. She's not small but it was seeing smaller ball without a traditional five man and how we can play without that," Goriss told ESPN.
"We have Teige, she's a back to the basket, low-post presence and a blessing to have someone of her size and experience in the WNBL.
"Z being such a big part of what we were going to do and what we were building around. It is what it is, but it does give us a few weeks to prepare without her, at least it hasn't happened the week before or of the first game. We've got a little bit more time to be able to get our rotations sorted.
"We're going to have to be a bit versatile in our thinking and how we play."
The Caps open their campaign against Southside at John Cain Arena on Oct. 18.
CAN THE FIRE BE EXTINGUISHED?
That was the topic of one conversation between two coaches as they caught a glimpse of the Fire in between their own preseason fixtures.
And the answer was no, at least one coach believes the Fire will go undefeated in WNBL26 given their stacked roster.
The hosts won the preseason tournament, defeating Sydney 90-73, and Geelong, 81-54, and are primed for a hot start to the season. Eventual 2024-25 champions Bendigo went on a 9-0 run to begin their campaign last year and many believe the Fire will topple that.
Loaded the Fire might be, but the work was done early by general manager Sam Pascoe and five-time Coach of the Year Shannon Seebohm who re-signed the core of the roster prior to last season's Grand Final series including import Lauren Cox who was awarded Robyn Maher Defensive Player of the Year.
Add in Miela Sowah, who won medals with the Australian Gangurrus and Opals in the offseason, import Lucy Olsen, off a rookie WNBA season with Washington Mystics, and the experienced Chantel Horvat, as a replacement player for the injured Saffron Shiels, and the Fire look formidable.
ALL HEART FOR T
In a lovely touch by the Sydney Flames and Kings, their 2025-26 playing strip features a pink heart and No. 5 to honour one of their own, Tiana Mangakahia who died from cancer last month.
'T' was on court for the Flames just three years ago before moving into an assistant coaching role alongside Renae Garlepp and under head coach Guy Molloy.
Former teammate and friend Keely Froling said the club will continue to remember and celebrate the 30-year-old in how they conduct themselves on and off the floor.
"It means everything to us, there's people in the program who knew her really well, some who didn't but it just shows how much T touched everyone whether you interacted with her for two seconds or if you knew her for years," Froling said.
Always in their hearts and now worn on them, @TheSydneyFlames tribute to @Tianamanga on their guernseys in #WNBL26
— Megan Hustwaite (@MeganHustwaite) September 25, 2025
(Shared with permission) pic.twitter.com/V8w08BpQJl
"We are also honouring the way she played. It didn't matter what was happening with her health, she wanted us to go out there and play hard and that's a good reminder for us no matter what the score is or what's going, we're going out to play hard. That's what T did and she'd love nothing more than to be out there with us, basketball was her whole life.
"We will continue to keep her memory alive, talking about her as a person, who she was and what she stood for. We will always talk about her, laugh about the good and funny times. She was such a fighter and this season is for her."
LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE FOR LEGEND
A feel-good story out of the preseason tournament was the sighting of a familiar face working the Adelaide bench: South Australian basketball royalty Marina Wood (nee Moffa).
A dual Olympian, in 1984 and 1988, she played more than 300 games in four WNBL championships and is now giving back to club as team manager.
"Moff" as she's affectionately known had been disappointed with the Lightning's ownership and decisions in recent years and now, impressed with the new regime, wants to help the iconic SA club move forward as it builds towards its first championship since 2008.
The role is a lot more than just "passing towels and drink bottles" according to Wood who took her old team manager Marg Williamson, a key off-court figure during the iconic Jan Stirling era, along to the Lightning's season launch on Wednesday night.