The 2025–26 Illawarra Hawks season was the 48th season of the franchise in the National Basketball League (NBL).
As reigning NBL champions, the Hawks will compete in the 2025 FIBA Intercontinental Cup, becoming the second team from Oceania to play in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup.
Roster
Depth chart
Standings
Ladder
The NBL tie-breaker system as outlined in the NBL Rules and Regulations states that in the case of an identical win–loss record, the overall points percentage will determine order of seeding.
Ladder progression
Game log
Pre-season
The 2025 NBL Blitz will run from 27 to 31 August 2025 with games being played at the AIS Arena, Canberra.
|-style="background:#FFBBBB;" | 1 | 27 August | @ Adelaide | L 104–83 | William Hickey (14) | Daniel Grida (10) | H.Froling, McLaughlin (3) | AIS Arenan/a | 0–1 |-style="background:#BBF3BB;" | 2 | 29 August | Perth | W 100–92 | JaQuori McLaughlin (24) | Blanchfield, Bolden (7) | JaQuori McLaughlin (5) | AIS Arenan/a | 1–1
Regular season
The regular season will begin on 18 September 2025. It will consist of 165 games (33 games each) spread across 22 rounds, with the final game being played on 20 February 2026.
|-style="background:#FFBBBB;" | 1 | 27 September | Tasmania | L 86–91 | JaVale McGee (32) | JaVale McGee (13) | JaQuori McLaughlin (6) | Wollongong Entertainment Centre5,123 | 0–1
|-style="background:#FFBBBB;" | 2 | 2 October | @ Perth | L 92–84 | JaVale McGee (26) | JaVale McGee (14) | Tyler Harvey (5) | Perth Arena11,572 | 0–2 |-style="background:#FFBBBB;" | 3 | 8 October | @ New Zealand | L 117–88 | Tyler Harvey (22) | Todd Blanchfield (8) | Tyler Harvey (6) | Spark Arena3,101 | 0–3 |-style="background:#BBF3BB;" | 4 | 11 October | Brisbane | W 116–89 | Tyler Harvey (22) | JaVale McGee (12) | Tyler Harvey (10) | Wollongong Entertainment Centre4,709 | 1–3 |-style="background:#FFBBBB;" | 5 | 18 October | @ S.E. Melbourne | L 116–76 | JaVale McGee (22) | JaVale McGee (11) | Tyler Harvey (3) | John Cain Arena5,615 | 1–4 |-style="background:#BBF3BB;" | 6 | 25 October | @ Perth | W 84–85 | Harvey, McGee (24) | JaVale McGee (11) | Tyler Harvey (8) | Perth Arena12,497 | 2–4 |-style="background:#FFBBBB;" | 7 | 31 October | New Zealand | L 60–102 | JaVale McGee (13) | JaVale McGee (10) | William Hickey (6) | Wollongong Entertainment Centre4,080 | 2–5
|-style="background:#FFBBBB;" | 8 | 2 November | @ Adelaide | L 90–88 | William Hickey (20) | JaVale McGee (11) | William Hickey (8) | Adelaide Entertainment Centre9,983 | 2–6 |-style="background:#BBF3BB;" | 9 | 5 November | Melbourne | W 107–93 | JaVale McGee (37) | JaVale McGee (14) | Hickey, Peterson (7) | Wollongong Entertainment Centre3,012 | 3–6 |-style="background:#BBF3BB;" | 10 | 7 November | @ Cairns | W 90–107 | JaVale McGee (28) | William Hickey (12) | William Hickey (12) | Cairns Convention Centre4,025 | 4–6 |-style="background:#FFBBBB;" | 11 | 16 November | Sydney | L 71–98 | William Hickey (19) | three players (9) | William Hickey (8) | Wollongong Entertainment Centre5,378 | 4–7 |-style="background:#FFBBBB;" | 12 | 19 November | @ Adelaide | L 97–85 | Tyler Harvey (21) | JaVale McGee (10) | William Hickey (7) | Adelaide Entertainment Centre9,964 | 4–8 |-style="background:#FFBBBB;" | 13 | 21 November | Melbourne | L 102–105 | JaVale McGee (28) | JaVale McGee (12) | William Hickey (7) | Wollongong Entertainment Centre3,872 | 4–9
|-style="background:#BBF3BB;" | 14 | 4 December | S.E. Melbourne | W 113–109 (OT) | Quentin Peterson (42) | McGee, Swaka Lo Buluk (13) | William Hickey (10) | Wollongong Entertainment Centre3,432 | 5–9 |-style="background:#FFBBBB;" | 15 | 6 December | Cairns | L 76–93 | Daniel Grida (18) | Hickey, McGee (11) | William Hickey (6) | Wollongong Entertainment Centre3,946 | 5–10 |-style="background:#BBF3BB;" | 16 | 11 December | Brisbane | W 100–85 | JaVale McGee (30) | JaVale McGee (10) | Quentin Peterson (8) | Wollongong Entertainment Centre3,481 | 6–10 |-style="background:#FFBBBB;" | 17 | 18 December | @ Melbourne | L 97–75 | Harvey, McGee (18) | JaVale McGee (10) | William Hickey (6) | John Cain Arena7,205 | 6–11 |-style="background:#FFBBBB;" | 18 | 20 December | Adelaide | L 78–84 | Quentin Peterson (21) | William Hickey (10) | William Hickey (7) | Wollongong Entertainment Centre4,432 | 6–12 |-style="background:#FFBBBB;" | 19 | 25 December | @ Sydney | L 108–84 | JaVale McGee (20) | Sam Froling (12) | Hickey, Peterson (3) | Sydney SuperDome7,732 | 6–13 |-style="background:#BBF3BB;" | 20 | 31 December | Tasmania | W 92–90 | Froling, McGee (16) | Sam Froling (10) | Quentin Peterson (5) | Wollongong Entertainment Centre5,359 | 7–13
|-style="background:#BBF3BB;" | 21 | 3 January | Cairns | W 96–78 | Tyler Harvey (18) | JaVale McGee (10) | William Hickey (6) | Wollongong Entertainment Centre4,921 | 8–13 |-style="background:#FFBBBB;" | 22 | 8 January | @ S.E. Melbourne | L 124–113 (OT) | Froling, Peterson (22) | Froling, McGee (9) | William Hickey (7) | State Basketball Centre3,422 | 8–14 |-style="background:#FFBBBB;" | 23 | 11 January | New Zealand | L 96–101 | Quentin Peterson (22) | Todd Blanchfield (7) | three players (6) | Wollongong Entertainment Centre5,323 | 8–15 |-style="background:#FFBBBB;" | 24 | 16 January | @ Perth | L 92–87 | Todd Blanchfield (16) | JaVale McGee (14) | William Hickey (7) | Perth Arena12,507 | 8–16 |-style="background:#BBF3BB;" | 25 | 24 January | @ Tasmania | W 91–101 | JaVale McGee (23) | JaVale McGee (8) | Hickey, Peterson (6) | Derwent Entertainment Centre4,340 | 9–16 |-style="background:#BBF3BB;" | 26 | 26 January | @ Brisbane | W 75–113 | Tyler Harvey (22) | JaVale McGee (10) | William Hickey (7) | Brisbane Entertainment Centre4,075 | 10–16 |-style="background:#FFBBBB;" | 27 | 29 January | @ Sydney | L 122–104 | Tyler Harvey (25) | JaVale McGee (9) | Froling, Hickey (5) | Sydney SuperDome7,740 | 10–17 |-style="background:#FFBBBB;" | 28 | 31 January | Perth | L 99–106 | Quentin Peterson (22) | JaVale McGee (11) | Hickey, Peterson (6) | Wollongong Entertainment Centre4,234 | 10–18
|-style="background:#BBF3BB;" | 29 | 5 February | Adelaide | W 100–99 | Harvey, Hickey (22) | JaVale McGee (14) | William Hickey (10) | Wollongong Entertainment Centre3,457 | 11–18 |-style="background:#FFBBBB;" | 30 | 7 February | @ New Zealand | L 106–95 | Blanchfield, Harvey (19) | William Hickey (10) | William Hickey (9) | Spark Arena2,750 | 11–19 |-style="background:#FFBBBB;" | 31 | 13 February | Sydney | L 94–120 | Tyler Harvey (16) | Mason Peatling (9) | Froling, Harvey (5) | Wollongong Entertainment Centre5,098 | 11–20 |-style="background:#BBF3BB;" | 32 | 15 February | @ Melbourne | W 91–100 | JaVale McGee (22) | JaVale McGee (13) | Quentin Peterson (6) | John Cain Arena10,175 | 12–20 |-style="background:#BBF3BB;" | 33 | 18 February | @ Tasmania | W 70–103 | Tyler Harvey (21) | Froling, McGee (10) | Tyler Harvey (4) | Derwent Entertainment Centre4,340 | 13–20
NBL Ignite Cup
The NBL introduced the new NBL Ignite Cup tournament for the 2025–26 season, with all games except the championship final counting towards the regular-season standings.
Transactions Free agency began on 4 April 2025. Re-signed Player Date Signed Contract Ref. Daniel Grida 1 April 2025 2-year deal Mason Peatling 1 April 2025 2-year deal Todd Blanchfield 7 April 2025 3-year deal Sam Froling 29 April 2025 3-year deal
Additions Player Date Signed Contract Former team Ref. Jackson Ball 28 July 2025 1-year deal Hawke's Bay Hawks JaVale McGee 1 August 2025 1-year deal Vaqueros de Bayamón Jonah Bolden 5 August 2025 1-year deal Capitanes de Arecibo Quentin Peterson 30 October 2025 1-year deal Xinjiang Flying Tigers
Subtractions Player Reason left Date Left New team Ref. Lee Hyun-jung Parted ways 31 July 2025 Nagasaki Velca JaQuori McLaughlin Released 10 October 2025 n/a
Awards Club awards Club MVP: JaVale McGee Most Improved Player: Daniel Grida Player's Player award: Daniel Grida Defensive Player: Wani Swaka Lo Buluk Coaches' award: Kobe McDowell-White Club Person of the Year: Kumar Manix Phil Driscoll OAM Volunteer of the Year Award: Bob Purcell
See also 2025–26 NBL season Illawarra Hawks
References
External links
Official Website