Page 19 - BWA Annual Report 2023

NBL1 WEST
Brighton Pass NBL1 West League Manager
BETTER TEAMS, CLOSE FINISHES, SOLD OUT GRAND FINALS – NBL1 WEST IS BOOMING
Through huge NBL1 West Success in 2022, including two West based National Championship winning teams in the Warwick Senators women and Rockingham Flames Men, WA had a target on their backs and did not disappoint leading into the 2023 campaign.
2023includedtotalof302gamesacross the regular season and finals in the West, with all games live-streamed to the NBL1 website and app including live commentary, graphics and stats overlays.
For the first time ever the NBL1 rolled out a Instant Replay System Nation-wide as awaytoensuregamesfinishedwiththe correct result, allow referee’s to make a soft call on final game deciding shots, or check replays courtside if required.
Over 17 million minutes of NBL1 West was live streamed around the world, with Rockingham Flames for taking the number 1 spot nationally including becoming the first team to crack 2 millions minutes watched for a season and retain the #1 National Ranking.
The NBL1 West Grand Finals were both sell-outs at Bendat Basketball Centre with a further 17,000 session viewers online via Kayo Sports and the NBL1 website across both the Mens and Womens Game.
The Cockburn Cougars took out the NBL1 West Women’s competition, defeating the Willetton Tigers, while in the Men’s
competition, the Geraldton Buccaneers defeated the Joondalup Wolves in the most watched game in the country for the second year in a row across all conferences!
2023 saw the second annual NBL1 National Finals tournament go ahead at HBF Arena in Perth, 18-20 August, with the best of all 5 conferences ready to compete. NBL1 West had representation from 4 teams, including 2022 winners Warwick Senators Women & Rockingham Flames Men, and newly qualified Cockburn Cougars Women and Geraldton Buccaneers Men.
All teams represented the West with pride and played some big games, with the Rockingham Men making it through to the championship game against the Knox Raiders, where unfortunately they were defeated against a tough opponent.
We finished the season with the first annual NBL1 Men’s Select Team in a 2-game series against the Perth Wildcats as part of their Official NBL Pre-season. Our local talents put on an unbelievable performance both nights, showing the strength of the players the NBL1 West has.
We would like to thank our three-year league naming rights partner Coles Express, as well as our other 2023 major partners Foot Locker, Kayo Sports, Zea and Mitsubishi. We thank them for their continued support of the NBL1 nation- wide.
“Over 17 million minutes of NBL1 West was live streamed around the world BWA ANNUAL REPORT 2023 | 14