Girls- now is the time to get into basketball
In the past week, there has been so much going on in women’s basketball. With the new 2025 WNBA season underway, early season games have been nothing but exciting to watch! Back home, a new WNBL logo was unveiled today with the 12 Opals named for the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup in July against the Philippines, Lebanon and Japan in the group stage. This excitement presents more opportunity for young girls, to engage with the sport, develop skills, and be inspired by the achievements of female athletes on both global and local stages.
A Global Game That Starts Locally
The WNBA's 2025 season commenced on May 16, marking a historic expansion with the debut of the Golden State Valkyries—the league's first new team since 2008. Under the leadership of head coach Natalie Nakase, the first Asian American woman to coach a WNBA team, the Valkyries secured their inaugural victory against the Washington Mystics, igniting enthusiasm among fans and setting a promising tone for the season.
Women's Sports Participation in Australia: A Comparative Snapshot
Women's basketball is among the fastest-growing sports for girls in Australia. While netball remains the most participated female team sport with over 1 million players, basketball is experiencing significant growth, particularly at the junior level, among a broader trend of growing interest in women's sports. However, basketball's structured pathways from grassroots to elite levels, combined with international opportunities, make it an attractive option for young female athletes.
Why Start Young?
Engaging in basketball from an early age offers numerous benefits for younger girls:
Confidence: Developing new skills and witnessing holistic personal progress.
Coordination & Fitness: Enhancing physical abilities that are fundamental across various sports.
Teamwork: Learning to collaborate, support and trust peers, and lead effectively.
Resilience: Cultivating the ability to face set backs and challenges, adapt, and grow.
One Thru Five Girls’ Basketball Programs
At One Thru Five, we are committed to fostering the growth of young female athletes through structured and supportive training programs:
🏀 Echidna’s (Ages 5–7): An engaging introduction to basketball fundamentals.
🏀 Wombat’s (Ages 8–14): Focused sessions on technique, building resilience, and gameplay emphasising readiness for the girls only play.
🏀 Wallaby’s (Ages 15+): Incorporating game decision making and more advanced girls only training focussing on teamwork, game strategy and leadership.
Our experienced coaches provide a nurturing environment that encourages skill development and personal growth.
💥 Book Now – Spaces Are Limited!
As women's basketball continues to gain prominence, there's no better time for your daughter to embark on her basketball journey. Whether she's new to the sport or looking to enhance her skills, One Thru Five Basketball offers programs that cater to every level, let’s inspire and empower the next generation of confident, skilled, and passionate female athletes—starting today.
👉 Book Now to secure her spot in our upcoming girls’ training programs.
🏀 Coaching Insights from the 2025 NSW PSSA Championships
Earlier this week, the 2025 NSW PSSA Basketball Championships showcased some of the most promising primary school aged athletes in the state. The event offered a rich opportunity for players to showcase and highlight skills, teamwork, celebrating basketball.
🔍 What We Observed
📌 Warm-Ups That Set the Tone
A number of teams used warm-ups as teachable moments to reinforce fundamentals that players would later executive in games. Warm ups focussing on pivoting, passing and transition were most common. All teams had dribble + layup lanes incorporated into warm ups and it was promising to see the emphasis on symmetry (eg both left and right lanes).
🎯 Skills in Action
A number of teams had guards who could score from the perimeter through a variety of middle and baseline drive actions including euro step type gathers and two-foot finishes including managing the drive line under pressure.
While some players relied heavily on their dominant hand for finishing and rebounding, moments of early downhill transition and advance passing reflected a developing grasp of broken play offense and understanding of off-ball spacing during transition early offense.
🧠 Game Observations
All teams had some element of ball pressure on defense while better teams had more ball pressure on the catch including active hands playing the ball, and early rebounding positioning
Conceptually a number of teams used an away screen in sideline and baseline out of bounds actions effectively and timeouts were used effectively by coaches to slow scoring momentum and to communicate team defensive tactics such as split-line concepts and defensive structure
Pressuring with containment emphasised trapping around the half court corners (both frontcourt and backcourt) while recovery footwork varied between teams and between players
Diamond press was most commonly used however a number of teams were able to break the first line of these via ball movement and speed dribbling through off-ball spacing
Teams often fouled the player with shorter closeouts in the half court offense, negating advantage and sparingly moved as off-ball receivers on the rise of the shot, reinforcing the need to continue developing spatial awareness and closeout footwork at these ages
When attacking the close out, perimeter players preferred to jab step than shot or pass fake indicating a potential development area when working on 1:1 development and training
Only a few players at this age were able to make cross court passes (>10m) effectively within field of vision and even less were able to see multiple lane runners ahead, reinforcing the need for upper limb strength and conditioning and holistic player development.
On an aside, I am in awe of the ability of parents, coaches, teachers to support this group of talented athletes across NSW - the huddles after the games where both teams join in at the jump circle and receive positive reinforcement from the opponent’s coach, the attention and support that the parents provide to and from the stadium to their player/athletes and the ability for those same parents to allow coaches to coach and teachers to teach so that each and every player develops in their own way is truly inspirational!
🚧 Opportunities for Growth
From both a technical and developmental perspective, these are areas we see as critical next steps:
Teaching Rebounding Beyond Height: Box outs and timing, not just jumping.
Scoring from Off-Ball Concepts: Cutting with purpose, spacing, and creating passing angles without the ball.
Developing Both Hands: Finishing, passing, and gathering with confidence on either side.
Encouraging Defensive Discipline: Closeouts, rotations, and staying in help without fouling.
💬 Final Thoughts
The NSW PSSA Championships revealed a group of young athletes who are already starting to embody performance standards in many areas. With continued guidance from coaches the future of NSW basketball looks promising.
Let's keep building—from One Thru Five Basketball
“Can My Child Make the NBA or WNBA?” – GUIDE FOR sydney’s Inner West Basketball Parents
As a parent, it’s exciting to see your child fall in love with basketball—whether they’re shooting hoops in the driveway or watching WNBA and NBA highlights on repeat.
Big dreams naturally follow:
"Could my child one day play professionally?"
"What does it take to make the WNBA or NBA?"
At One Thru Five Basketball, we work with players of all skill levels across Sydney’s Inner West, and we understand both the aspirations and the realities. So, here’s what parents need to know—without the hype, but with plenty of hope.
The Big Leagues: wNBA and NBA by the Numbers
Every year:
WNBA Draft: Just 36 players selected—and even fewer make final rosters
NBA Draft: 60 players selected from thousands of prospects globally
Last year were 3 Australians who were selected in the 2024 WNBA draft
Currently, there are around 10 Australians in the NBA and 6 in the WNBA
Recently, there are 6 Australians who have declared for the 2025 NBA draft with Alex Condon, Tyrese Proctor, Rocco Zikarsky, Alex Toohey, Ben Henshall and Lachlan Olbrich working out in the 2025 draft combine earlier this week.
These are elite outcomes—less than 0.01% of players globally will reach this level.
But here’s the positive truth: the life-changing benefits of basketball don’t depend on going pro.
Your Child Doesn’t Need to Be in Reps to Start Developing
Many players in the Inner West are not playing for a representative (reps) basketball team (yet). They may be playing across a number of local club-level competitions — learning the basics, gaining confidence, learning new skills and figuring out if they truly love the game.
Not being in reps doesn’t mean your child is behind or missing out. What matters is how they’re supported to develop skills, habits, and mindset—all of which can be built right now through the right development program and skills training.
In fact, some of the best players start at their local club level and gradually work their way up. The path might look like this:
Local club comps
Development programs and skill training
Rep basketball (e.g. Comets, Spirit, Bulls)
State Performance Programs (SPP)
National Performance Programs (NPP)
U.S. college scholarships or NBL1 / NBL / WNBL pathways
NBA / WNBA Global Academies
The journey starts with and is supported by quality coaching, skill-building, and end to end encouragement—not early reps selection alone.
Supporting Boys and Girls Equally
It’s important to recognise that the pathway for girls in basketball can look different at all ages and skill levels — even at the WNBA level, there are less draft and rosters spots compared to the NBA.
But there the WNBL, U.S. college scholarships, state team selection, and professional leagues in Europe or Asia offer incredible professional opportunities for those who commit and develop.
At One Thru Five Basketball, we understand that training needs for girls and boys may differ throughout each individual’s basketball journey, we encourage training side by side where skill and age appropriate, with equal opportunity, standards, and support.
What Parents Can Do Right Now
You don’t need to know everything about basketball to support your child—here’s where your influence matters most:
✅ Focus on development, not comparison
Every child develops at their own pace. Keep the emphasis on effort, not early results.
✅ Prioritise good coaching and training environments
Structured training sessions build confidence and reinforce the right habits.
✅ be present and Celebrate their passion
Let them enjoy the game. Pressure and burnout often come from well-meaning over-involvement.
✅ Be patient with reps trials and selections
Missing out on a team now doesn’t mean they won’t make it next year—or go further later.
✅ Let them dream—then help them do
Dreaming of the NBA or WNBA is fine. Just make sure they’re backing it up with practice, learning, and the right mindset.
Final Thoughts
Your child doesn’t need to be a rep player (yet) to have a future in basketball. If they love the game and are willing to learn, grow, and commit — they’re already on the right path.
The WNBA or NBA might be the dream. But the real reward is in the journey:
The friends, the fitness, the focus, the life skills—and yes, the chance to go as far as they want.
At One Thru Five Basketball, we are here to support that journey—every step of the way.
Explore our Inner West Basketball training programs, 1:1 training where we can focus on reps trial prep sessions, and school holiday skill clinics for girls and boys of all basketball skill levels at One Thru Five Basketball.