The 2015–16 WNBL season is the 36th season of competition since its establishment in 1981. A total of 9 teams contested the league. The regular season was played between October 2015 and February 2016, followed by a post-season involving the top four on 28 February to 18 March 2016. The Townsville Fire were the defending champions and they would go on to repeat their run to the WNBL title, defeating the Perth Lynx 2–0 in the final.
Sponsorship included Wattle Valley, entering its third year as league naming rights sponsor. Spalding provided equipment including the official game ball, with Peak supplying team apparel. This season also saw the return of a team from South Queensland with the debut of the South East Queensland Stars.
Transfers
Team standings # WNBL Championship Ladder Team 1Townsville Fire 17 7 70.83 24 2Perth Lynx 16 8 66.67 24 3Dandenong Rangers 15 9 62.50 24 4South East Queensland Stars 15 9 62.50 24 5Sydney Uni Flames 13 11 54.17 24 6Bendigo Spirit 12 12 50.00 24 7Adelaide Lightning 10 14 41.67 24 8Melbourne Boomers 8 16 33.33 24 9University of Canberra Capitals 2 22 8.33 24
Finals
Statistics Individual statistic leaders CategoryPlayerTeamStatistic Points per game Suzy Batkovic Townsville Fire 20.8 PPG Rebounds per game Cayla George Townsville Fire 12.1 RPG Assists per game Kelly Wilson Bendigo Spirit 5.5 APG Steals per game Sami Whitcomb Perth Lynx 2.8 SPG Blocks per game Louella Tomlinson Perth Lynx 2.0 BPG Three point percentage Brittany Smart Melbourne Boomers 49.2% Free throw percentage Tahlia Tupaea Sydney Uni Flames 89.7%
Individual game highs CategoryPlayerTeamStatistic Points Sara Blicavs Dandenong Rangers 38 Rebounds Cayla George Townsville Fire 18 Mikaela Ruef Adelaide Lightning Assists Lauren Mansfield South East Queensland Stars 11 Steals Sami Whitcomb Perth Lynx 7 Blocks Elyse Penaluna Melbourne Boomers 7 Louella Tomlinson Perth Lynx Three pointers Carley Mijovic Perth Lynx 9
Season award winners
Player of the Week Award Round #PlayerTeam Round 1 Tess Madgen Melbourne Boomers Round 2 Suzy Batkovic Townsville Fire Round 3 Sami Whitcomb Perth Lynx Round 4 Rachel Jarry South East Queensland Stars Round 5 Gabrielle Richards Bendigo Spirit Round 6 Tahlia Tupaea Sydney Uni Flames Round 7 Suzy Batkovic (2) Townsville Fire Round 8 Cayla George Townsville Fire Round 9 Belinda Snell Bendigo Spirit Round 10 Brittany Smart Melbourne Boomers Round 11 Jordan Hooper South East Queensland Stars Round 12 Kelsey Griffin Bendigo Spirit Round 13 Gabrielle Richards (2) Bendigo Spirit Round 14 Lauren Mansfield South East Queensland Stars Round 15 Kayla Standish Adelaide Lightning Round 16 Natalie Novosel Townsville Fire Round 17 Leilani Mitchell Adelaide Lightning Round 18 Abby Bishop Canberra Capitals
Team of the Week Award Round #TeamRound 1Tess Madgen Boomers Sami Whitcomb Lynx Kelsey Griffin Spirit DeNesha Stallworth Stars Elyse Penaluna Boomers Round 2Katie-Rae Ebzery Flames Belinda Snell Spirit Kelsey Griffin (2) Spirit Suzy Batkovic Fire Louella Tomlinson Lynx Round 3Tahlia Tupaea Flames Sami Whitcomb (2) Lynx Kelsey Griffin (3) Spirit Sara Blicavs Rangers Nadeen Payne Stars Round 4Tess Madgen (2) Boomers Leilani Mitchell Lightning Madeleine Garrick Boomers Rachel Jarry Stars Suzy Batkovic (2) Fire Round 5Katie-Rae Ebzery (2) Flames Lauren Mansfield Stars Betnijah Laney Lynx Gabrielle Richards Spirit Carolyn Swords Flames Round 6Tahlia Tupaea (2) Flames Sami Whitcomb (3) Lynx Ify Ibekwe Stars Suzy Batkovic (3) Fire Louella Tomlinson (2) Lynx Round 7Katie-Rae Ebzery (3) Flames Sami Whitcomb (4) Lynx Tamara Tatham Fire Suzy Batkovic (4) Fire Elyse Penaluna (2) Boomers Round 8Tess Madgen (3) Boomers Sami Whitcomb (5) Lynx Stephanie Cumming Rangers Belinda Snell (2) Spirit Cayla George Fire Round 9Tessa Lavey Lynx Leilani Mitchell (2) Lightning Belinda Snell (3) Spirit Mikaela Ruef Lightning Gabrielle Richards (2) Spirit Round 10Brittany Smart Boomers Madeleine Garrick (2) Boomers Annalise Pickrel Rangers Jordan Hooper Stars Suzy Batkovic (5) Fire Round 11Katie-Rae Ebzery (4) Flames Lauren Mansfield (2) Stars Sara Blicavs (2) Rangers Jordan Hooper (2) Stars Suzy Batkovic (6) Fire Round 12Leilani Mitchell (3) Lightning Stephanie Cumming (2) Rangers Kelsey Griffin (4) Spirit DeNesha Stallworth (2) Capitals Cayla George (2) Fire Round 13Lauren Mansfield (3) Stars Sami Whitcomb (6) Lynx Sara Blicavs (3) Rangers Betnijah Laney (2) Lynx Gabrielle Richards (3) Spirit Round 14Lauren Mansfield (4) Stars Rachel Jarry (2) Stars Kelsey Griffin (5) Spirit Betnijah Laney (3) Lynx Suzy Batkovic (7) Fire Round 15Lauren Mansfield (5) Stars Sami Whitcomb (7) Lynx Stephanie Cumming (3) Rangers Kayla Standish Lightning Cayla George (3) Fire Round 16Lauren Mansfield (6) Stars Renee Montgomery Capitals Natalie Novosel Fire Jordan Hooper (3) Stars Carley Mijovic Lynx Round 17Leilani Mitchell (4) Lightning Carley Mijovic (2) Lynx Ify Ibekwe (2) Stars Abby Bishop Capitals Suzy Batkovic (8) Fire Round 18Katie-Rae Ebzery (5) Flames Sami Whitcomb (8) Lynx Jordan Hooper (4) Stars Abby Bishop (2) Capitals Cayla George (4) Fire
Player & Coach of the Month Awards For games playedPlayer of the MonthCoach of the MonthPlayerTeamCoachTeam October 2015 Suzy Batkovic Townsville Fire Shane Heal South East Queensland Stars November 2015 Katie-Rae Ebzery Sydney Uni Flames Andy Stewart Perth Lynx December 2015 Suzy Batkovic (2) Townsville Fire Larissa Anderson Dandenong Rangers January 2016 Betnijah Laney Perth Lynx Larissa Anderson (2) Dandenong Rangers February 2016 Jordan Hooper South East Queensland Stars Chris Lucas Townsville Fire
Postseason Awards AwardWinnerPositionTeam Most Valuable Player Award Suzy Batkovic Centre Townsville Fire Grand Final MVP Award Micaela Cocks Guard Townsville Fire Rookie of the Year Award Alex Ciabattoni Forward Adelaide Lightning Defensive Player of the Year Award Stephanie Cumming Guard Dandenong Rangers Top Shooter Award Suzy Batkovic Centre Townsville Fire Coach of the Year Award Andy Stewart Coach Perth Lynx All-Star Five Leilani Mitchell Guard Adelaide Lightning Sami Whitcomb Guard Perth Lynx Katie-Rae Ebzery Guard Sydney Uni Flames Kelsey Griffin Forward Bendigo Spirit Suzy Batkovic Centre Townsville Fire
Team Captains & Coaches TeamCaptainCoach Adelaide Lightning Kelly Bowen / Leilani Mitchell (co) Tracy York Bendigo Spirit Kelly Wilson Simon Pritchard Dandenong Rangers Aimie Clydesdale / Stephanie Cumming (co) Larissa Anderson Melbourne Boomers Tess Madgen Guy Molloy Perth Lynx Tessa Lavey Andy Stewart South East Queensland Stars Rachel Jarry Shane Heal Sydney Uni Flames Katie-Rae Ebzery Shannon Seebohm Townsville Fire Suzy Batkovic Chris Lucas University of Canberra Capitals Abby Bishop / Carly Wilson (co) Carrie Graf
References