Basketball SA, the peak sporting body for basketball in South Australia, is excited to announce a strategic partnership with the Adelaide Lightning. In this collaborative effort, the Adelaide Lightning will become a valued Community Partner of Basketball SA at the State Basketball Centre, utilising the training facilities and office spaces at new Home of South Australian Basketball. This partnership will play a key role in supporting Basketball SA’s Female Participation Strategy, helping to deliver essential outcomes for the program.
The Adelaide Lightning, playing in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL), shares Basketball SA’s vision for community engagement, empowering female athletes, and the development of South Australian basketball. This partnership represents a significant step toward strengthening the ties between professional basketball and grassroots participation, Basketball SA’s Female Participation Strategy aims to help strengthen the pathway between the two.
Under this partnership, the Adelaide Lightning will have access to state-of-the-art training facilities, including the use of the professional change rooms at the State Basketball Centre. These facilities will provide a top-notch training environment for the Lightning’s elite female athletes and coaches.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Adelaide Lightning as a Community Partner at the State Basketball Centre,” said Tim Brenton, CEO of Basketball SA. “This partnership is about more than just sports; it’s about empowering female athletes and creating opportunities for them to excel. The Adelaide Lightning, as a WNBL powerhouse, will serve as a beacon of inspiration for our young female athletes, showcasing the possibilities that lie ahead.”
The partnership also includes the Adelaide Lightning establishing their coaches’ offices within the State Basketball Centre, creating a central hub for team operations. This proximity will foster collaboration and knowledge sharing between the Lightning and Basketball SA, benefiting both organisations.
To ensure that training can occur at all times throughout the summer, Seeley International’s Climate Wizard indirect evaporative air conditioning system has been installed at the State Basketball Centre. This state-of-the-art cooling technology will provide optimal training conditions for the athletes, even during South Australia’s hottest months.
“We are excited about this partnership with Basketball SA and the Adelaide Lightning,” said Reece Turner, General Manager – Adelaide Lightning. “Having our team and coaches based at the State Basketball Centre will not only streamline our operations but also enable us to engage more closely with the basketball community.”
The collaboration between Basketball SA and the Adelaide Lightning, reflects a shared commitment to fostering excellence in basketball and creating a supportive environment for female athletes at all levels. Together, they look forward to promoting the sport of basketball and enhancing the development of young female athletes.
Basketball SA is excited to share the opening of the State Basketball Centre at Wayville, with the Honourable Katrine Hildyard MP, Minister of Recreation, Sport and Racing, in attendance to officially open the doors. The state of the art facilities are a major win for the South Australian basketball community. The project was conducted as a collaboration between Basketball SA, Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing and the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of SA (RA&HS).
Basketball SA received $15.8 million in State Government funding to develop the new facility at the Adelaide Showgrounds, Wayville. The new centre is an extension to the Wayville Sports Centre and has the capabilities to accommodate programs for Basketball SA, SA Country Basketball, SA Wheelchair Basketball and SA Church Basketball.
In addition to the State Government’s funding, Basketball SA and the Royal Show Agricultural and Horticultural Society of SA contributed the additional funding to the re-development bringing the upgrade total to $17.2 million.
The new facility caters for community through to high-performance basketball and local, district, state and national league teams all having the ability to train from the same venue. The State Basketball Centre is also the home training venue for the Adelaide Lightning.
“Establishing places and spaces that support movement, play and performance is a vital component in helping us achieve our vision of being an active and inclusive state.
The new home of South Australian basketball will see players of all ages and abilities utilise the facility, encouraging more people to enjoy the physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing benefits associated with being active.
Our Government is serious about giving everyone in the community a chance to participate in sport and feel included, and the State Basketball Centre is another important piece of infrastructure which will help us achieve that.
Thousands of South Australians enjoy basketball; this place will enable even more people to do so and to enjoy that lovely sense of belonging that comes through sport. I have no doubt that this place will make a difference in people’s lives for decades to come and am really grateful to Basketball SA and the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of SA for their collaboration and vision to help bring it to life.”
“The State Basketball Centre is an investment in community and well-being, belonging and social connection. It’s far more than infrastructure; the SBC provides a place and platform for basketball to shape and positively influence lives.
When people work together with their collective compass pointing in the same direction, extraordinary things can be achieved. The SBC is an extraordinary project that will deliver significant benefits for generations to follow.
From the outset, the SBC project has been about human connection. The creation of a safe space where kids will make life-long friendships, families create precious memories and basketball participants of all ages develop life-skills including teamwork, resilience, and leadership. Whilst at the same time delivering a FIBA1 compliant stadium that enables basketball to be showcased at a professional and international level.”
The facility is set to provide wider community benefits through collaboration with the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of SA (RA&HS), who will use the State Basketball Centre during the Royal Adelaide Show each year as they currently do with the Wayville Sports Centre.
