Tasmania Jewels sell out Hobart arena for WNBL season opener

Record-breaking support for inaugural home game

The Tasmania Jewels will play their first Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) home game in Hobart to a capacity crowd this Thursday night. Club officials confirmed that ticket sales for the season opener against the Geelong Venom at MyState Bank Arena have exceeded 4,200, marking a historic sell-out for the franchise’s debut.

Head coach Claudia Brassard shared the news with her squad during a briefing at the team’s high-performance centre prior to training. The announcement was met with applause and cheers from the players, who then rang the club’s milestone bell to mark the achievement.

“Tasmania has made a big statement. The community that loves us has got behind us. We’re a sell out.”

This strong attendance follows a surge in off-court support for the new club. Last month, the Jewels broke the WNBL’s all-time membership record before playing a single competitive match. The club reported 4,054 memberships, a figure that continues to rise and significantly surpasses the previous record of 3,331 set by the former Melbourne Boomers in the 2017-18 season.

Season schedule across two venues

Claudia Brassard noted that the level of community backing had taken the club by surprise when the membership record fell. The Jewels are scheduled to play 11 home games during the current season. Six of these fixtures will be held at MyState Bank Arena in Hobart, while the remaining five will take place at the Silverdome in Launceston.

The team’s first appearance at the Silverdome is set for October 31, when they face the Sydney Flames. The Thursday night clash with Geelong Venom represents the start of this dual-venue home campaign in front of a fully booked arena.

Original source: Pulse Tasmania . Access to the original article may depend on the publisher’s paywall or subscription settings.