THE WNBL has wrapped up for another year, and there was plenty of excitement across the course of the 2023 season.

It was a different looking landscape as the campaign rolled on, with contenders rising and falling in a tense finish to the home and away fixture. Ultimately, the strongest side in the Townsville Fire claimed the grand prize, but other teams showed plenty of promise and delivered highlights of their own.

As we did with the NBL over the past few weeks, Rookie Me Central will be taking a look at how each side fared in the 2022/23 season, with mixed results across the eight teams.

The series finishes with a look at the Fire, who had a magnificent season culminating in a championship-winning campaign.

Townsville started like a house on Fire (intentional pun), climbing towards the top of the standings in the opening few weeks of the season, but fell behind the likes of the Melbourne Boomers and the Southside Flyers in the weeks that followed.

However, the Fire kicked into gear in the second half of the fixture, proving a class above every other side in the competition. They did not really suffer a true challenge from January onwards, and were clearly the best side in the WNBL during this time.

The Fire won their final 16 games of the season, including finals, where they were far and away too tall a task for any of the other sides in contention.

Head coach Shannon Seebohm was deservingly named Coach of the Year for his efforts in constructing the best side in the league. Townsville won its last 16 games by an average of 15 points per game, further showcasing their dominance in this time.

It is hard to find any flaws in the Fire’s 2022/23 campaign, having achieved every team’s goal in extremely convincing fashion.

Townsville Fire

2022/23 season – 17 wins, four losses

It was as dominant a period as any side has delivered in the WNBL over the past few years, cruising to its fourth league championship.

MVP – Tianna Hawkins

The championship-winning sides often hit the mark with their imports, and that was certainly the case for the addition of Hawkins. She delivered a powerful campaign with the Fire, coming close to claiming the league MVP, and was the best performer on the best team in the competition. A dominant force scoring in the low block and pulling down rebounds, Hawkins was a massive factor in Townsville’s success. The team often looked to feed her the ball in the paint, and she claimed the Grand Final MVP award as a reward for her emphatic performances.

Next season

Getting the band back together may be easier said than done, but the recent success may be an incentive for the team’s imports to go around again. The likes of Hawkins and Karlie Samuelson will likely receive plenty of offers overseas, but may want to return to the Fire to make it back-to-back titles.

The team has already locked away one of the best guards in Australia in Stephanie Reid, and will be eager to pair her with Lauren Nicholson in the backcourt once again. It was a winning formula in 2022/23, and the team will be eager to retain as many pieces as possible.