WNBL club owners are adamant the league's governance model needs to be ripped away from Basketball Australia if clubs are to start turning profits and lifting player wages.
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The WNBL is at the centre of a three-way stand-off between BA, the players' association, and club owners who want the league to be run like a sports entertainment company capable of banking cash.
Owners have been left fuming as the players association demands an increase on the league's minimum wage of $15,000, given BA is at the negotiating table but not footing the bill.
The majority of club owners are in favour of an NBL-style private takeover of the league.
The eight WNBL clubs lost a collective figure of almost $5 million during the 2022-23 season. The clubs rakes in little more than $7 million despite total expenditure rising above $12 million.
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Basketball Australia lost about $530,000 on an investment worth almost $2.7 million.
Clubs pay about $75,000 to the league as an equalisation fee to cover travel and other expenses - yet insiders say only two of the eight clubs come close to breaking even.
Now the battle has become a matter of control. Club owners want an investor to take over the league, but there is a sense a private investor would not let BA operate the league on their behalf.
Players have been caught in the crossfire after free agency, which was slated to begin on April 10, was postponed.
However club owners are in no hurry for the free agency period to begin before the competition begins, which is likely to be in October or November, as the players association and BA remain at loggerheads.
Players want a significant increase on the league's minimum wage of $15,000, which is dwarfed by rival codes.
The players association is demanding more money for its athletes, but club owners - who want to see their players become full-time basketballers - are asking where the cash will come from.
The Canberra Capitals enjoyed record membership numbers, consistent crowd figures and maintained a strong level of sponsorship this past season but still operated at a loss.
The Capitals are the city's most successful club but the bulk of their salaries pale in comparison to the city's other women's teams.
The ACT Meteors will earn WNCL match payments on top of their $60,000 salary for the lowest-paid players in the squad of 16 following Cricket Australia's mammoth investment into the women's space.
It equates to about $5000 per game based on the 12-game WNCL campaign, and puts female state cricketers well ahead of any other code in Australia.
The new Canberra Raiders' NRLW side will give players at least $30,000, while Canberra United's A-League Women's players get $25,000.
However WNBL club owners point to the fact rival codes are backed financially by broadcast deals secured on the back of successful men's competitions.
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Caden Helmers
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
