Basketball New Zealand

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The Women’s Basketball Championship looks set to expand to 14 teams next year, five up on its inaugural 2009 season.

Harbour Breeze took out overall honours in the competition that filled the void left when the WNBL folded two years ago. The WBC format, played over three weekends a month apart and culminating in a “championship” tournament, has proved so popular, more teams have committed to taking part in the future.

“The goal of the WBC is to get women playing basketball again and to provide a competition to develop our elite players,” says organiser Brett Goebel.

“We are excited to be able to address this by having 14 teams compete next year.”

The eight surviving teams from this year – Auckland, Canterbury Wildcats, Harbour Breeze, NZ Academy, Otago Goldrush, Taranaki Trojans, Waikato Cougars, Waikato Wizards and Wellington Swish – will be joined by Auckland and Waitakere (who had previously combined as GABBA Gators), Hutt Valley, Palmerston North, Nelson Sparks and Waikato Lady Titans.

Goebel said two more teams were on standby in event of withdrawals.

The tournaments are scheduled for June 24-26 (New Plymouth), July 22-24 (Waitakere) and August 19-21 (Dunedin).

If 14 teams make the start line, the first two weekends will consist of a round robin in two sections of seven. Accumulated points will provide seedings for the finals tournament in August – the top six will contest the championship, the other eight will compete for the plate.

Goebel’s long term goal would be to contest the 2011 WBC in two divisions with a promotion/relegation opportunity.