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Townsville Fire

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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]

Season-by-season records

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Season Standings Regular season Finals Head coach
W L PCT
Townsville Fire
2001–02 8th 3 18 14.2 Did not qualify David Herbert
2002–03 2nd 15 6 71.0 Lost Semi Final (Canberra, 67–68)
Lost Preliminary Final (Sydney, 78–83) 		David Herbert
2003–04 5th 12 9 57.0 Did not qualify David Herbert
2004–05 6th 7 14 33.0 Did not qualify David Herbert
2005–06 6th 12 9 57.0 Did not qualify David Herbert
2006–07 6th 10 11 48.0 Did not qualify David Herbert
2007–08 6th 10 14 41.6 Did not qualify Peter Buckle
2008–09 3rd 16 6 72.7 Won Semi Final (Adelaide, 91–78)
Lost Preliminary Final (Bulleen, 68–79) 		Peter Buckle
2009–10 4th 14 8 63.6 Won Elimination Final (Bendigo, 84–73)
Lost Semi Final (Canberra, 39–60) 		Peter Buckle
2010–11 7th 10 12 45.4 Did not qualify Peter Buckle
2011–12 4th 13 9 59.0 Won Elimination Final (Sydney, 85–78)
Lost Semi Final (Dandenong, 66–77) 		Chris Lucas
2012–13 4th 13 11 54.1 Won Semi Final (Adelaide, 60–53)
Won Preliminary Final (Dandenong, 78–64)
Lost Grand Final (Bendigo, 57–71) 		Chris Lucas
2013–14 3rd 16 8 66.6 Won Semi Final (Melbourne, 78–73)
Won Preliminary Final (Dandenong, 74–71)
Lost Grand Final (Bendigo, 83–94) 		Chris Lucas
2014–15 1st 17 5 77.7 Won Semi Final (Bendigo, 82–63)
Won Grand Final (Bendigo, 75–65) 		Chris Lucas
2015–16 1st 17 7 70.8 Lost Semi Final (Perth, 72–91)
Won Preliminary Final (South East Queensland, 91–71)
Won Grand Final (Perth, 2–0) 		Chris Lucas
2016–17 4th 14 10 58.3 Lost Semi Final (Sydney, 0–2) Claudia Brassard
2017–18 3rd 14 7 66.6 Won Semi Final (Sydney, 2–0)
Won Grand Final (Melbourne, 2–1) 		Claudia Brassard
2018–19 6th 9 12 42.8 Did not qualify Claudia Brassard
2019–20 8th 5 16 23.8 Did not qualify Shannon Seebohm
2020-21 2nd 9 4 69.2 Lost Semi Final (Southside, 93–106)
Won Preliminary Final (Melbourne, 65–62)
Lost Grand Final (Southside, 82–99) 		Shannon Seebohm
2021–22 6th 7 10 41.1 Did not qualify Shannon Seebohm
2022–23 1st 17 4 80.9 Won Semi Final (Perth, 2-0)

Won Grand Final (Southside, 2-0)

Shannon Seebohm
2023–24 1st 14 7 66.6 Loss Semi Final (Perth, 0-2) Shannon Seebohm
Regular season 274 221 55.3 4 Minor Premierships
Finals 19 15 55.8 4 WNBL Championships

Players

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Current roster

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2024-25 Townsville Fire roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Ht.
G 0 United States Cooke, Zia 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) 23 – (2001-01-09)9 January 2001
F 1 South Sudan Lok, Nyaduoth 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) 24 – (2000-04-24)24 April 2000
G 2 Australia Shiels, Saffron 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 18 – (2006-01-18)18 January 2006
G 7 Australia Woods, Courtney 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) 27 – (1997-03-24)24 March 1997
F 9 Australia Froling, Alicia 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 28 – (1996-01-31)31 January 1996
F 12 Australia Fowler, Alex 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 23 – (2001-07-21)21 July 2001
F 14 Australia Carey, Majella 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) 24 – (2000-04-06)6 April 2000
F 15 United States Cox, Lauren 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 26 – (1998-04-20)20 April 1998
G 23 Australia Ellis, Abbey 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) 23 – (2001-01-22)22 January 2001
G 24 Australia Mcdowell-White, Jessica 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) 24 – (2000-08-23)23 August 2000
F 30 Australia Cochrane, Lucy 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 24 – (2000-09-18)18 September 2000
G 33 Australia Mansfield, Lauren 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) 34 – (1989-12-18)18 December 1989
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Development player
  • (I) Import player
  • Injured Injured
Updated: 28 January 2024

Former players

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Coaches and staff

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Owners

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  • Townsville Fire Limited (2011–present)

Head coaches

[edit]
Townsville Fire head coaches
Name Start End Seasons Regular season Finals
W L PCT G W L PCT G
David Herbert 2001 2007 6 59 67 46.82 126 0 2 0.00 2
Peter Buckle 2007 2011 4 50 40 55.55 90 2 2 50.00 4
Chris Lucas 2011 2016 5 76 40 65.51 116 10 4 71.42 14
Claudia Brassard 2016 2019 3 37 29 56.06 66 4 3 57.14 7
Shannon Seebohm 2019 Current 4 14 20 41.17 34 1 2 33.33 3

References

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  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.
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