The Australian Boomers’ FIBA World Cup qualifying campaign is heading West, with RAC arena in Perth set to host the duels against Guam on 3 July and the Philippines on 6 July.
Western Australian basketball fans will be treated to a star-studded lineup across the two matchups, including six-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton making his Boomer debut.
The return of international basketball to Perth is another significant chapter in Western Australia’s deep connection to the sport, a history that stretches back more than a century to the state’s earliest basketball pioneers.
THE ORIGINAL WA BASKETBALL PIONEERS (1910 - 1980)
Basketball first arrived in Western Australia around 1910, introduced through community groups and the YMCA, before the Western Australia Basketball Federation was eventually formed in 1946.
The creation of the association allowed statewide competitions to emerge, international basketball rules to be standardised and organised club structures to develop throughout Perth and surrounding regions.
THE RISE OF WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Women’s basketball experienced significant growth throughout the 1950s, particularly across regional Western Australia.
Communities in Kalgoorlie, Albany, Bunbury and Mandurah became key contributors to the development of the women’s game, with local competitions and association structures continuing to expand during the decade.
THE ARRIVAL OF PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL
A defining moment for basketball in Western Australia arrived in 1982, when the Perth Wildcats entered the National Basketball League (NBL).
The Wildcats became WA’s first professional basketball franchise and quickly emerged as a central figure in the state’s sporting landscape. Playing their early seasons at Perry Lakes Stadium, the club’s popularity surged throughout the 1980s as basketball continued to grow nationally.
The breakthrough moment came in 1987 when the Wildcats reached their first NBL Grand Final, announcing themselves as a major force in Australian basketball.
In 1988 Perth had a new professional basketball team on the rise, with the Perth Breakers joining the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL).
The Breakers were present from 1988 through to 2001, with the team making finals nine times in their 13-year history, including three grand final appearances and one WNBL championship in 1992.
Due to financial struggles Basketball Western Australia took the reins from 2001 - 2015, rebranding the Breakers to the Perth Lynx, then again to the West Coast Waves from 2010 - 2015.
Eventually the Wildcats management purchased the Perth Waves, and brought back the Perth Lynx branding, with the two teams being prevalent in the NBL and WNBL since.
Moving to RAC Arena in 2012, the Perth Wildcats found a new home and a new identity. The venue serves as one of the largest arenas in the country, allowing the Wildcats to regularly play in front of 13,000 passionate fans.
Since 2012, the Wildcats fortress has witnessed a golden era of basketball, winning five NBL Championships in front of the raucous ‘Red Army’ at RAC Arena.
Now, with 10 NBL championships across decades of dominance, the Wildcats have turned into a symbol of Perth basketball culture, rising as one of the most successful and recognisable brands in Australian sport.
The Perth Lynx continue to be a powerhouse in recent WNBL history and fell agonisingly short of their first title against Townsville in March.
THE ROLE OF JACK BENDAT
Jack Bendat is a name synonymous with basketball in Western Australia. Bendat owned the Perth Wildcats from 2007 – 2021, a window that yielded six titles for the West Australian club.
Bendat is recognised as the man who saved the Wildcats, buying the Club in 2006 and ensuring that the team would stay in the West despite incurring significant financial losses to the enterprise in his first years of ownership. He did the same for the Perth Lynx in 2015 to ensure there would be a top tier women’s franchise remaining in the city.
The man entered folklore status when he set conditions of sale of the club to ensure that it would remain in Perth for the West Australian people. The WA Basketball Centre was renamed to the Bendat Basketball Centre in 2015 in honour of his contributions.
As the saying goes; build it, and they will come. Jack did that and the West Australian’s rose to the occasion.
AUSTRALIAN REPRESENTATIVES
From the 1960s onward, Western Australia began consistently producing athletes capable of representing Australia on the international stage.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, several players with strong Western Australian ties became prominent figures in Australian basketball, including the three-time NBA Champion Luc Longley.
Luc Longley’s influence on WA basketball pathways further elevated the state’s reputation, with other notable Boomers and Opals stars rising through the WA pathways including Andrew Vlahov, Robyn Maher, Tully Bevilaqua, Ricky Grace, Damian Martin and Carrie Graf. In the current fold, Opals Sammi Whitcomb, Darcee Garbin and Amy Atwell hail from Perth.
The Boomers are headed by Adam Caporn, who is Baldivis born and raised. Six players selected for the upcoming window have deep connections to the West, including Ben Henshall, Alex Condon, Keanu Pinder, Elijah Pepper, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk and of course, Bryce Cotton.
NATIONAL CHAMPS
Western Australian teams have forged themselves as a consistent threat at the Foot Locker Championships and are serviced well with the West Australian Institute of Sport and their development programs.
The WA Black Ducks were the team to beat at the National Junior Wheelchair Championships from 2019 - 2024. The Black Ducks have claimed four titles in total.
WA struck their first U18 Men's championship in 1985 and have won five since. They also won the U16 title in 2003.
The last title for Western Australia in the National Champs was in 2021. That WA Metro team featured two selected for the upcoming window for the Australian Boomers, none other than Ben Henshall and Alex Condon.
THE NEXT GENERATION OF WA PLAYERS
Today, Western Australia is recognised as one of the country’s premier basketball development systems.
Strong junior participation, high-quality coaching and elite performance environments continue to create opportunities for emerging athletes throughout the state.
The NBL1 West remains a critical stepping stone for developing players, while the Rio Tinto Perth Wildcats Academy and WA Institute of Sport programs provide direct pathways into professional basketball.
Modern prospects are entering elite systems, with accelerated development leading to earlier NBL opportunities and increased international exposure, as witnessed with the WA duo of Luke Paul and Jongkuch Mach, who both came through the Perth Wildcats Academy.
A LASTING LEGACY
More than a century after basketball first arrived in Western Australia, the sport continues to thrive at every level.
With one of Australia’s strongest basketball structures led by the Perth Wildcats, now under the ownership of WA’s own Mark Arena, Western Australia remains a driving force in the continued growth of Australian basketball.
The Australian Boomers are returning to Perth for the first time since 2019 with a double-header in July against Guam and Philippines at RAC Arena. Tickets available via Ticketek
'The Boomers FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers in Perth is supported by the Western Australian Government through Tourism WA.
