NEWCASTLE (Paul Nilsen's Women's Basketball Worldwide) - One of the women's league's beginning to move up my own personal interest chart right now is the WNBL.

I have always cast a strong glance towards women's basketball in Australia for many reasons and obviously having one of the strongest national teams in the game has always been a big factor.

Recent events in the WNBL look set to have me paying even more attention in the future and especially because one of my favourite players in Erin Phillips is spearheading the exciting new addition to the league of South East Queensland.

After years of playing in Europe, Phillips will take her veteran skills back home and what is even more alluring about following this new team is that they seem determined to make a sizable splash during their rookie campaign.

The two-time WNBA champion is being joined by her Opals' team-mates Rachel Jarry and Rebecca Allen who will also lend WNBA experience.

There has been talk that the new kids on the block might even be in with a shot of landing the title in their first ever season.

Of course how much of that is promotion and fanfare which accompanies an announcement of such an enterprise remains to be seen and it will come down to the nuts of bolts of walking the walk on the hardwood.

Although with someone like Shane Heal at the helm, you can’t rule out such a possibility.

Apparently the Brisbane-based club will be named soon after a competition from fans to choose a nickname - something which I will enjoy following too - as I am also doing in respect of their building of a social media presence.

What I do find particularly interesting is how other teams react to their entry and potential to challenge for honours.

Last week it was announced that the legendary Lauren Jackson will be joined at Canberra Capitals by European legend Ann Wauters. Now that is what you call a top class and experienced duo.

Wauters will arrive a EuroCup Women champion after excelling with Villeneuve d'Ascq, while just getting Jackson back on the floor will be the aim for Canberra.

There was a cloud to the silver lining of Wauters arriving and that was the news that the club will lose MVP of the WNBL, Abby Bishop after she turned down a contract offer. She will head in the opposite direction to Wauters and into Europe, after some WNBA court-time with the Seattle Storm.

Of course Wauters is in effect a replacement for Bishop and the loss of the latter is an undoubted blow. She averaged a magnificent 23 points, 10.6 rebounds and almost three assists per game in a dazzling 2014-15 campaign.

It will also be interesting to see if Townsville Fire can successfully defend their cherished maiden title and the addition of Briana Butler should help towards that aim.

Elsewhere, I was thrilled to see that Dandenong Rangers managed to hold onto WNBL Rookie of the Year, Lauren Scherf who did such a wonderful job covering for so many injuries and absences last season to the likes of Elizabeth Cambage.

Thrown in at the deep end, she managed to keep afloat in impressive fashion and hopefully she can build on that progress of being catapulted way ahead of the intended development schedule.

There is also the added bonus that Scherf will be on view at the FIBA U19 Women's World Championship in Chekhov (Moscow Region), Russia (18-26 July) and is one of the names on my updated watch-list.

So, while it may not even swing into action for almost six months, the WNBL looks like being one of those leagues which is fascinating even during the off-season and I look forward to continue watching how each team constructs their respective rosters.

Plus, I am forever fascinated at how in a country with such a rich tradition in so many different sports, the WNBL competes for a share of attention and develops itself as a competition and commercial entity.

Paul Nilsen

FIBA

FIBA's columnists write on a wide range of topics relating to basketball that are of interest to them. The opinions they express are their own and in no way reflect those of FIBA.

FIBA takes no responsibility and gives no guarantees, warranties or representations, implied or otherwise, for the content or accuracy of the content and opinion expressed in the above article.