At a 6-17 record, the Sydney Flames finished dead last in the WNBL last season. Their campaign was disrupted before it even tipped off, as they parted ways with import Grace Berger before their first game. This set the tone for what was in store for the Flames, somewhat never getting started.
They were the earliest players in this free agency window and they didn't disappoint their fans. Alex Wilson, Jaz Shelley and Isabelle Bourne were three of the top names on every team's whiteboard, and all of them were in Sydney by early May. This is already a shift from what the Flames have been in recent years; their Australian contingent was below average last season, and their imports were outperformed on a nightly basis.
The two seasons preceding the last, they had Cayla George leading the charge fresh off a WNBA championship. She was accompanied by middle-of-the-pack Australian talent and inconsistent imports. In her first stanza with the Flames, the 2023-24 season, she was joined by then-captain of the Australian Opals Tess Madgen. Injuries and unavailability have stretched all the way back until then for Sydney, who haven't won a postseason game since taking away the title in 2017. Since then, they've played beyond the end of the regular season twice for a combined record of 0-4.
This new crop of Flames is looking to turn those fortunes. An elite Australian core with imports to supplement has been the common trend amongst champions over the past few years. The Townsville Fire brought Lucy Olsen and Lauren Cox off the bench last season. The Bendigo Spirit had Veronica Burton supporting regular season and finals MVP Sami Whitcomb in 2025. Mercedes Russell was often outscored by a 42-year-old Lauren Jackson for the Southside Flyers the year before that.
The Perth Lynx have fallen in two of those three series with players who routinely represent Australia in international play, like Anneli Maley, Amy Atwell and the aforementioned Wilson. It must be mentioned, however, that Perth's imports have played a sizable role in the starting lineup, but all of these successful teams are built on Australian excellence.
Additions of Wilson, Shelley and Bourne are starters on any WNBL team. They add an interesting dynamic with existing Flames Lauren Nicholson and Agnes Emma-Nnopu. They also brought in Charlise Dunn to make her debut in the league after three All-A-10 selections to finish off her college career with Davidson.
There's still a hole to fill at their centre position, but the bones of a great team is there with four months until the 2026-27 season commences. Sydney extended their head coach, Renae Garlepp, until the end of 2027-28 after she initially took over as interim coach in December last year. They were 3-7 at the time of this appointment, so she has yet to have a free agency or training camp leading the team.
She recently explained to The IX Basketball why coming in halfway through the season is a challenge.
“At that point, you're trying to help the players as best you can on the run — simplify things, build trust quickly, and give the group clarity without overloading them,†Garlepp explained. “Now, having the opportunity to start from the beginning is really exciting.
“It allows us to be much more intentional with what we're building — with our staff, our players, our standards, and the style of basketball we want to play,†she continued. “The fun challenge now is bringing a new group together and helping them build a brand that fits how we want to play and who we want to become.â€
Garlepp has built a reputation as a developmental coach, both with the Australian Gems, the under-19s team, and the Future Flames, Sydney's in-house development program. She now adds another notch to her belt as a head coach in the WNBL and she has big plans in her first full season at the helm.
Garlepp's big hopes to establish with her new group? Building habits.
“Of course we'll put systems in, but the biggest thing is establishing how we want to work, how we want to compete, and what our standards look like every day,†she said. “With a new group, connection is huge — learning about each other, trusting each other, and understanding what makes us effective. We want to create a team that plays with great energy, shares the ball, defends with discipline, and has a real edge about them.â€
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Those last points are true of returning Flames Nicholson and Emma-Nnopu. The former is toughness personified. Nicholson has a complete offensive toolkit and is comfortable scoring from every part of the court. On the other end of the court, she's a two-time DPOY, with the most recent coming in 2024.
Emma-Nnopu is a similar athlete to Nicholson, but hasn't yet explored her game as a primary creator with the ball. She's a tough defender and an accurate shooter, a perfect complement to the stars around her. Her mentality sets her apart and the variability she can bring on the glass allows her to be interchangeable between the two, three and four slots. There is the potential for her and Bourne to work in tandem, blurring the lines between the three and four while they're both on the court, causing headaches for their opponents.
Shaneice Swain also returns to Sydney, marking her fourth consecutive season with the Flames. The 22-year-old made it to the Los Angeles Sparks training camp roster in 2025 but ultimately got cut. Her past few seasons have paralleled her WNBL team, while she has tried to find a role that sticks. As a starting quality player providing fire power off the bench, she may have found that role. With the way the rest of the roster is looking, she could already be the preseason frontrunner for Sixth Woman of the Year.
With the toolbelt fastened, Garlepp talked about her teams priorities in the free agency period: “Our biggest priority was bringing in people who fit the direction we want to take the club — not just talent, but competitors, high-character people, and toughness. We wanted players who could help us build the style and identity we're chasing, both on and off the floor.â€
One such player is Bourne, who spoke to The IX Basketball about her fit.
“I think the group Renae has recruited has been put together very deliberately and thoughtfully,†Bourne explained. “We have a team that's not only talented, fast, and athletic, but also full of hard workers. When you're surrounded by people who are constantly striving to improve and push each other every day on the court, it helps build a strong winning culture. I believe our ability to be consistent and intentional in the way we work each day will ultimately translate into success throughout the WNBL season.â€
Bourne is one of Australia's most promising talents, having just been selected to represent the Opals against China in a two game international series during July. At 25-years-old, she can play the three or the four and switch comfortably on the perimeter. She's still growing comfortable with playing physically, and may be slightly daunted by the pressure of coming up against some of the bigger bigs in the WNBL, but all of her coaches have touted her eagerness to develop and ability to be coached. She has been on the cusp for selection for top flight competitions in the World Cup and Olympics and won gold last year at the Asia Cup. Amassing these international experiences has been important to her, having played in Spain with Gernika after the 2025-26 WNBL season concluded.
“Playing in Spain was a great opportunity for the development of my game,†Bourne said. “One area I really wanted to grow in was competing at an international level, and playing in Spain gave me that chance. The Spanish league is very competitive and fast-paced … it taught me how to perform in a completely new environment and become comfortable being uncomfortable at times, especially when adjusting to a different league and style of play.â€
Bourne is building her experiences as well as the variety of roles she can provide on and off the court. Her season with the Southside Melbourne Flyers last year wasn't a perfect fit due to their physical nature, but she still led the team in scoring in perfect unison with Maddy Rocci at specifically 16.04 points a night. This had them tied for seventh in the league for a Flyers team who finished the year in the postseason with an 11-12 record.
She goes from one experienced team to another, and her malleability lends itself to WNBL rookie Dunn. Both stand at 6'2, both are listed as power forwards, and both play a perimeter-centric game that can pair well with either of Nicholson or Emma-Nnopu at the three.
“I think at Davidson I was able to become a more well rounded player, and I worked on developing my versatility on the offensive and defensive end,†Dunn said to The IX Basketball. “I'm looking forward to show this in the WNBL while still continuing to develop and improve.â€
That development is front of mind when she thinks about her fit with the Flames. “It's really exciting that such talented players will be my teammates,†Dunn said.
Dunn shone at Davidson, a team that felt like they had more Australians than any other nationality during her time there. She led the charge in each of her three seasons with the college and is poised to be a handy rotation piece off the bench for Garlepp. Davidson became such a home for Dunn that an opportunity in Australia feels new for her.
“I am so excited,†Dunn shared with elation. “Everything is new and exciting at the moment, and I can't wait to get to work with Renae in Sydney and I'm super grateful for the opportunity to come back home and play in this league.â€
The Flames have brought in good talent while also retaining their brightest diamonds. With the news of a centre signing to come for them and the rest of the league announcing signings by the day, it might be safe to say this team will have the most talent in spots one-through-four. With international experiences for the likes of Wilson (WNBA), Bourne (Spain) and Dunn (NCAAW) all coming after the conclusion of the most recent WNBL season, Garlepp will have the opportunity to integrate all of these different geographical playing styles into her game-plan. The 2027 WNBL postseason will mark a decade since the Sydney Flames last won a game, series and championship. They're setting themselves up well to achieve all three again.
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