Record crowds highlight amazing WNBL26 opening round

The opening round of the WNBL26 season was one for the record books.

It all opened with Saturday's historic Southside Melbourne Flyers and UC Capitals clash at John Cain Arena, which saw 4,342 fans attend the fixture, marking the biggest season opener crowd in the competition's proud 45-year history.

This was backed up by strong crowds in Geelong (1,310), Bendigo (1,269) and Adelaide (1,986), with the latter being a full-capacity crowd.

WNBL special advisor and Australian Opals legend Lauren Jackson attended Saturday's opener at John Cain Arena, which the Caps won by nine points, and is excited by the momentum the WNBL is gaining.

“We’ve been waiting a long time for this moment, for the WNBL to truly take off," Jackson said to basketball.com.au.

"What we’ve seen this opening weekend is the start of a new era for women’s basketball in Australia. Record crowds, incredible talent, and a level of excitement that shows just how far the league has come in a short amount of time and the potential around where it’s headed.”

Round 2 of the WNBL26, which is also the league's annual Indigenous Round, tips off on Friday night when Sydney host Southside at Quaycentre from 7.30pm AEDT, live on ESPN2 and 9Now.

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