Sport

WNBA stars to feature in Bendigo Spirit’s WNBL pre-season clash in Shepparton

By Callum Farquhar

Oct 5, 2026

The Bendigo Spirit will host a pre-season clash with the Southside Flyers again this year at Shepparton Sports Stadium. Photo by Megan Fisher

The Shepparton basketball spirit is strong enough to pull back the big guns.

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After a raging success last year, the Women’s National Basketball League’s Bendigo Spirit will face the Southside Melbourne Flyers again in a pre-season fixture at Shepparton Sports Stadium on Friday, and they’re bringing two of the best women’s basketballers on the planet.

Featuring Jade Melbourne and Isobel Borlase, guards for the Seattle Storm and Atlanta Dream respectively in the world’s top women’s basketball league, the WNBA, the Spirit will boast the star Australians while the national North American competition enters its off-season.

Both are set to represent the striking yellow uniform of the Spirit against the teal of the Flyers, who boast Chinese superstar Wang Siyu, known for her clutch shooting from range.

While it is a pre-season match, the level of talent gracing the Shepparton hardwood is not to be understated ahead of the WNBL’s campaign that begins October 15.

Tickets are limited, and can be purchased for $15 via this link, or through the GSBA Facebook page.

In other basketball news, the Shepparton Gators have tipped off in the Country Basketball League’s North East division.

The men’s unit suffered a 92-45 loss in its opening bout, while the women’s held a bye.

The women’s Gators will have a bye again in round two, as will the men’s, with the Gators properly beginning their CBL seasons at home in round three on Saturday, October 17.