Ordinarily, many events, including internal team structure reorganizations and tournament-wide decisions, precede the WNBA season. The arrangements for the on-coming season kick off early enough to allow sufficient preparation and fixture scheduling. 

The 2023 season’s events started as early as 30th November 2022. WNBA released the schedule and fixtures with a start date on Friday, 19th May. 

For Australian-based WNBA and WNBL followers, the season is unique on many fronts. It has attracted Aussie players who have signed for different teams, some returning to their previous teams, while pre-season injury news has come as a dark cloud for other players with prospects of making their name in the WNBA league. 

Further, the season is set to have a record-high 40 games per team, implying your favorite Aussie players will regularly feature to prove their worth. 

More importantly, your viewership of the games is set to be more convenient if the organizers actualise the WNBA’s plans to unveil their exclusive TV plus streaming packages in Australia and across the globe. 

Plans are on the tail-end, and soon you will be relishing your favourite Aussie players on the go via mobile. 

Read here on the amazing work made by Bec Allen who is also one to keep an eye on for the 2023 WNBA season with the Connecticut Suns.

Exciting Aussie Players To Keep An Eye On in the 2023 WNBA Season 

Aussies have remarkably featured in the previous WNBA seasons. From Michele Timms in 1997 playing for Phoenix Mercury to Detroit Shock’s Rachael Sporn in 1998, these are some of the pioneer Aussie players who probably prompted WNBA scouts to set their eyes on the Aussie basketball domestic league to tap into the growing talent pool. 

Hitherto, WNBA has proved a fertile ground for Aussie players to showcase their skills and, in some instances, play significantly contribute to their teams’ trophy wins. 

As the 2023 season nears, the Aussies’ place in the WNBA matrix remains big. We have big names debuting for various teams and others reuniting with their former ones. Unfortunately, on the downside, we have injury news that might disappoint players and their avid supporters. Let’s look into them. 

Shaneice Swain 

The WNBA 3-times champions, Los Angeles Sparks, drafted the Australian teenager, Shaneice Swain, into the WNBA. The Point Guard is only 19, and prospects of young talent with a bright future are the reasons behind her 14th-pick. 

Previously, she had featured in the Australian domestic women’s basketball league, WNBL representing Canberra Capitals. 

She might not feature in the Los Angeles Sparks playing roster immediately, per Charlie Creme, ESPN’s seasoned analyst, but her previous WNBL stats_ an average of 14.5 points per game and 2 assists point to her potential. 

Elated by her daughter’s signing, Norman, Shaneice’s father, revealed to ABC that she has always been passionate about the game and would practice daily on the basketball hoop in their compound. Lastly, playing outside Australian soil in a globally competitive league was a dream come true. 

Her Canberra Capitals coach, Kerry Williams, was awash with praises, describing her as a stand-out and natural talent. She takes pride in her agility, great reaction, and anticipation and hopes that her star will shine brightly when the new season dust ultimately settles. 

Cayla George 

Having previously played in the WNBA league, Phoenix Mercury (2015 &2017), and Dallas Wings 2018, Cayla George is among the most experienced Aussie players returning to the WNBA 2023 season. 

Over the last 5 years, she has been a regular player for the Melbourne Boomers. Recently, in the 2022 WNBL season, she was a crucial player that thrust her team to win the league. 

In the upcoming WNBA season, she will join Las Vegas Aces, who signed her as a free agent. As expected, her fitness levels are enviable, having averaged more minutes per game than any other player in the 2022 WNBL season. 

The Las Vegas Aces General Manager Natalie Williams describes Cayla as one of the best centers in the world. She can’t wait to leverage her skillful rebounds, three-point shooters, and passing accuracy.

On her side, Cayla is excited to play alongside polished players and her cheerful coach. She hopes to replicate her performance averaging 11 rebounds and 18.6 points in each game. 

Steph Talbot 

Steph Talbot is an unlucky new Aussie signee by Los Angeles Sparks. The news of her return to the WNBA reverberated well with her Australian coaches, Aussie basketball enthusiasts, family, and the Adelaide Lightning, where she has been playing. However, she suffered a severe anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury three weeks after signing for LA Sparks on Feb 1. 

Although she has previously featured in the WNBA playing for Minnesota and Phoenix, Talbot’s injury dealt an unprecedented dent in her career as she is set to miss a significant part of the upcoming WNBA season. 

Sami Whitcomb Returns to Seattle Storm 

Sami Whitcomb, the two times WNBA champion in 2018 and 2020, is returning to Seattle Storm in the 2023 season. She will be re-uniting with the team after a 2-year stint with New York Liberty. 

The 34-year-old is banking on her experience and familiarity with the team. The two-year contract, per the club’s statement, will see her bring back her leadership and experience to the team. 

Talisa Rhea, the club’s general manager, says Sami personifies passion and excitement, which are the club’s engrained tenets. 

Her previous two seasons at New York Liberty had slightly different averages with 2022, proving a less-remarkable season. Understandably, she was used as a backup player instead of a starter, as in the 2021 season. Nevertheless, she feels this is a perfect reunion, and she is hungry for playtime and elated about the career chapter about to open. 

Ezi Magbegor 

After what insiders described as a break-out season for Ezi Magbegor in 2022, Seattle Storm re-signed her in February 2023. Her breaking out was from impressive averages in the first 22 games. 

She averaged 11.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, and 1.6 assists per game. Her second half of the season was not as impressive owing to Storm’s acquisition of Tina Charles, whom she competed for a position with. 

While highlighting her competencies for the upcoming season, Seattle Storms General Manager Talisa Rhea expresses her deep affection and thrill for who she credits for uplifting the team’s on and off the pitch. 

She thanks Talisa and the club’s management for again believing in her talent. Ezi’s new season’s expectations are high, and she can’t wait to don the team’s jersey and light up the Climate Pledge Arena when the season starts.

The Opals will be playing in the FIBA Womens Asia Cup soon, take a look here on how they went on their last campaign.