The Townsville Fire are an Australian professional female
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
team competing in the
Women's National Basketball League
The Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) is the pre-eminent professional women's basketball league in Australia. It is currently composed of eight teams. The league was founded in 1981 and is the women's counterpart to the National Baske ...
(WNBL). They are the only female professional sporting team of any discipline in the northern half of Australia. The team was established in 2001 by Townsville Basketball Inc. In 2014,
James Cook University
James Cook University (JCU) is a public university in North Queensland, Australia. The second oldest university in Queensland, JCU is a teaching and research institution. The university's main campuses are located in the tropical cities of Cairn ...
became the team's principal partner and naming rights sponsor.
[Uni stoking Fire in sponsorship deal]
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Following the 2010/11 season, the Fire were seemingly doomed, folding under the weight of financial pressures before an 11th hour resurrection. Prior to the 2011/12 season, the team became a not-for-profit, community owned entity. The Fire reached four straight WNBL Grand Finals between 2012/13 and 2015/16, winning back-to-back championships in 2015 and 2016. Their victory in March 2015 was the city's maiden national premiership. The Fire returned to the WNBL Grand Final in 2017/18 and won their third title in four years.
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Season-by-season records
Players
Current roster
Former players
* Gina Stevens
Georgina (Gina) Stevens (born 4 July 1975) is a retired Australian women's basketball player, who represented the country at both junior and senior levels.
Biography
Stevens played in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) between 199 ...
, (2002–2004)
* Jodie Datson, (2002–05)
* Natalie Porter, (2004–2006)
* Rachael McCully
Rachael McCully (née Flanagan; born 5 April 1982) is one of Australia's most accomplished female basketballers. During a decorated WNBL career, McCully played for the Adelaide Lightning, Dandenong Rangers and Townsville Fire, earning the WNBL ...
, (2004–2007, 2008–2015)
* Rohanee Cox, (2005–2010)
* Jennifer Crouse
Jennifer Crouse (born May 23, 1977) is an American retired professional basketball player.
Career College
In college, Crouse attended University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota, playing for the Fighting Sioux ('It was controvers ...
, (2005–2009)
* Kelly Wilson, (2005–2008, 2016–2018)
* Aneka Kerr
Aneka Kerr (born 1 March 1981 in Rangiora) is a basketball player for New Zealand. At the 2006 Commonwealth Games she won a silver medal as part of the Tall Ferns New Zealand women's basketball team. Kerr represented New Zealand and the Ta ...
, (2008–2010)
* Jo Hill
Joanne Kay Hill (born 19 June 1973) is a former Australian women's basketball player.
Biography
Hill played for the Australia women's national basketball team during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in ...
, (2009–2011)
* Nadeen Payne
Nadeen Payne (born 7 June 1993) is an Australian professional basketball player. She currently plays for the Townsville Fire in the WNBL.
Career
WNBL
Payne began her WNBL career with the Australian Institute of Sport. She would then return hom ...
, (2010–2012)
* Shanavia Dowdell, (2011–2012)
* Jessica Foley, (2011–2013)
* Suzy Batkovic
Suzy Batkovic (born 17 December 1980 in Lambton, New South Wales, Australia) is an Australian professional basketball player and politician. Suzy played her junior basketball with the Port Hunter Basketball Club in Newcastle. She has played bas ...
, (2013–2019)
Coaches and staff
Owners
* Townsville Fire Limited (2011–present)
Head coaches
References
External links
Townsville Fire official website
{{Townsville Sports Teams
Women's National Basketball League teams
Sport in Townsville
Basketball teams in Queensland
Basketball teams established in 2001
Articles containing video clips