Throwback Thursday: When Tassie last had a WNBL team

The Tasmania Jewels will create history on Thursday night when they hit the WNBL court for the first time against Geelong.

When Claudia Brassard’s side do so at MyState Bank Arena, it will mark the first time since 1996 that a Tasmanian-based team has featured in the League.

They were the Hobart Islanders, who played in the WNBL from 1986 to 1996 and enjoyed multiple strong seasons.

Their first came in 1989, when, behind WNBL MVP Kathy Foster (who led the League in scoring with 20.3), the Islanders finished with a 16-7 regular season record.

That squad went on to make the Grand Final, before ultimately losing the decider to Nunawading 80-69.

The Islanders suffered the same fate in 1990, losing the Grand Final 72-57 to the North Adelaide Rockets.

But it was third time lucky for Hobart in 1991, as the 18-4 Islanders qualified for the Grand Final once again.

This time, they prevailed in the Final, edging Nunawading 67-64 to claim their maiden title, led by Robyn Maher’s 19 points.

The championship was the pinnacle of the Islanders’ 11-year tenure in the WNBL, which ended against the Dandenong Rangers (now Southside Melbourne Flyers) on September 1, 1996.

In that fixture, the Islanders lost 78-64 and had a squad that featured Melissa-Sue Allen, Natalie Ayres, Debbie Black, Mandy Bonney, Lucy Crombie, Julei De Groot, Tracey Duggan, Alison Fish, Andree Greenwood, Catherine Lahanas, Fiona McGrath, Denise McMullan, Kim Upton and Emma Walsh.

Across those 11 seasons, only five players – Kathy Foster (2,086 points), Andree Greenwood (1,310), Debbie Black (1,288), Karen Smiggs Stanford-Smith (1,284) and Tracey Febey (1,267) – eclipsed the 1,000-point mark.

Now the Jewels get the chance to create their own Tasmanian basketball legacy in the WNBL.

Thursday's clash tips off at 7pm AEDT, live on 9Now and ESPN via Disney+.