Townsville Fire

Townsville Fire
Townsville Fire logo
LeaguesWNBL
Founded2001
HistoryTownsville Fire
2001–present
ArenaTownsville Entertainment and Convention Centre
Capacity5,257
LocationTownsville, Queensland
Main sponsorJames Cook University
PresidentSam Pascoe
Head coachShannon Seebohm
Championships4 (2015, 2016, 2018, 2023)

The Townsville Fire are an Australian professional female basketball team competing in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). They are the only female professional sporting team of any discipline in the northern half of Australia. The team was established in 2001 by Townsville Basketball Inc. In 2014, James Cook University became the team's principal partner and naming rights sponsor.[1]

Following the 2010/11 season, the Fire were seemingly doomed, folding under the weight of financial pressures before an 11th hour resurrection.[1] Prior to the 2011/12 season, the team became a not-for-profit, community owned entity. The Fire reached four straight WNBL Grand Finals between 2012/13 and 2015/16, winning back-to-back championships in 2015 and 2016. Their victory in March 2015 was the city's maiden national premiership.[2] The Fire returned to the WNBL Grand Final in 2017/18 and won their third title in four years.[3] The team won their fourth championship in 2023.[4]

  1. ^ a b Uni stoking Fire in sponsorship deal
  2. ^ Side earn top city honours
  3. ^ WNBL: Townsville Fire claim third title in four years with win over Melbourne Boomers
  4. ^ "JCU TOWNSVILLE FIRE CROWNED WNBL CHAMPIONS". wnbl.basketball. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.