WNBL announces return of exciting Townsville Tip Off

The Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) is set to bring the heat back to tropical North Queensland this September, unveiling on Tuesday the second instalment of the Townsville Tip Off (TTO), the League’s annual pre-season tournament.

Locked in for September 17-20, 2026, at Townsville Stadium, the Murray Sporting Complex, the pre-season tournament will tip off on the opening weekend of Queensland school holidays.

To make sure the school break is extra special, all kids will get to go to this year's event for free.

A highlight of this year's TTO will be a grand final rematch between the reigning champions, the Townsville Fire, and their rivals of last season, the Perth Lynx.

This will be the first time the championship-winning Fire team will play back at home in front of Fire fans.

The Townsville Tip Off will also give fans exclusive access to players freshly returned from the FIBA World Cup and provide an opportunity for everyone to see the league’s newest team, the Tasmania Jewels.

Proudly supported by the Queensland Government Office for Sport and Recreation, Tourism and Events Queensland, Townsville Enterprise and Townsville City Council, TTO continues to bring elite women’s sport to centre stage in North Queensland.

Local Member for Townsville, Adam Baillie, said he was thrilled to see the Tip Off returning to Townsville.

“We are excited to welcome the WNBL and the Tip Off back to Townsville, and competitions like this continue to cement our reputation as the events capital of the North,” Baillie said.

“Bringing the nation’s best women’s basketball to Townsville will back local businesses, attract visitors and give the community a chance to experience elite sport up close while inspiring the next generation.”

As the WNBL expands its presence across Australia, a focus on engaging with Queensland-based and local organisations and communities is a priority for this pre-season tournament, with event themes including Business and Networking Night, Townsville’s Got Talent and Fire Up.

Townsville City Deputy Mayor Suzy Batkovic said Townsville continued to cement itself as a world-class sporting and events destination.

“Events like the Townsville Tip Off are about more than basketball,” Batkovic said.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to activate our city, attract visitors and showcase Townsville to a national audience.

“As home to the league’s best, the Townsville Fire, we love our basketball and hosting the Townsville Tip Off once again is a real coup for our city and a chance to inspire the next generation.”

Townsville Enterprise CEO Claudia Brumme said the return of the Townsville Tip Off is an exciting addition to the North Queensland events calendar.

“The Townsville Tip Off is fast becoming a highlight on the WNBL calendar, and we’re thrilled to bring it back to North Queensland for a second year,” Brumme said.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase the strength of our league, give fans an early look at their teams, and celebrate the incredible talent returning from the world stage.”

WNBL Chief Strategy and Basketball Partnerships Officer, Lauren Jackson, is looking forward to an even bigger event than last year.

“We are incredibly excited to be coming back to Townsville,” Jackson said.

“The fans in Townsville are some of the very best, and we can't wait to bring all nine teams back to this wonderful city and put on a great show.

"We have been laser-focused on growing this pre-season tournament from a fan experience, community engagement and high-performance perspective.

"Thanks to the support of our partners, we are in a strong position to establish the Townsville Tip Off as a landmark event for North Queensland."

CEO of the NBL Group, Dave Stevenson, said returning to North Queensland for the second Townsville Tip Off sets up another exciting chapter for the WNBL.

“Welcoming the Tasmania Jewels into the league, and bringing all nine clubs together ahead of the season, is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the very best of women’s basketball and connect fans with the WNBL's outstanding athletes,” Stevenson said.

“We’re thrilled to return to the home of the reigning WNBL Champions, the Townsville Fire, and one of Australia’s great basketball communities.

“I’d like to extend my thanks to the Queensland Government, Tourism and Events Queensland, Townsville City Council, Townsville Enterprise, our WNBL clubs and players for helping bring this event to life.”

Tickets are on sale now, with kids going free. The WNBL invites fans to join them in celebrating elite women’s sport against the backdrop of tropical North Queensland this September.

Full schedule (all times AEST)

Thursday, September 17 (Fire Up Once: Grand Final rematch)
7pm - Fire vs Lynx

Friday, September 18 (Business and Networking Night)
6pm - Lightning vs Jewels
8pm - Flyers vs Lynx

Saturday, September 19 (Townsville’s Got Talent)
12pm - Capitals vs Venom
1:45pm – School showcase
4pm - Flames vs Jewels
6pm - Lightning vs Spirit

Sunday, September 20 (Fire Up Twice: School All Stars and Fire vs Flames)
10:45am – School All Stars
1pm - Capitals vs Flyers
2:45pm – School All Stars
5pm - Venom vs Spirit
7pm - Fire vs Flames