Lauren Jackson: Why the WNBL Is About to Boom

Lauren Jackson has achieved just about everything there is to achieve in basketball. Now one of Australia's greatest ever athletes is helping build the future of the WNBL. As Chief Strategy and Basketball Partnerships Officer, the five-time Olympian and three-time WNBA MVP is part of a new era for Australian women's basketball, with private investment, major commercial partners, expanding broadcast coverage and ambitions to grow the competition well beyond its traditional audience. But what does it actually take to turn a great sporting competition into a successful business? In this episode of Moneyball, Lauren joins Scott Keenan to discuss why the WNBL needed new investment, what has changed under private ownership and why she believes women's sporting leagues need to do things differently. They explore the growth of the WNBA and the impact of stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, the commercial opportunity created by international players including Han Xu, the arrival of the Tasmania Jewels, and the importance of building athlete brands and reaching fans who don't already follow basketball. Lauren also talks about her own transition from athlete to executive, what she's learning from the WNBL's new ownership, and the financial challenges still facing professional women's basketball players in Australia. And she has a big ambition: to make the WNBL Australia's premium women's sporting competition. Moneyball is the business of sport — conversations about everything off the field that makes the sports we love so special. Hosted by Scott Keenan, the show explores sports business, media, investment, sponsorship, entertainment and fan culture in Australia and around the world. Watch Moneyball on YouTube and follow the show on Instagram @moneyball_show or email anytime [email protected].