'Both hands': Hayward hungry for Tasmanian shot

• Tasmania is set to rejoin the WNBL in 2026-27, ending a 30-year absence from the league.
• Rising star Sharn Hayward is among the Tasmanian players inspired by the new pathway to the pro level.
• The new franchise reflects Tasmania’s growing basketball culture and strong community support.

Tasmanian guard Sharn Hayward would “grab with both hands” the opportunity to play for the new WNBL franchise in Hobart.

WNBL CEO Jennie Sager announced on August 19, 2025, Hobart would be the ninth club, starting in 2026-27.

“I always wanted to play in the WNBL, so with the Tassie team coming, if the opportunity ever arose,” Hayward, 23, told basketball.com.au.

“I would grab it with both hands.

"It's very exciting that for so long it was just talk, and now we can show our competitive nature and unite to succeed on the WNBL stage.”

It’s clear Tasmania’s basketball community has played a crucial role in showcasing the need to bring back a Tassie side to the WNBL.

Related Article: Tasmanian sharpshooter Sharn Hayward is back on home soil to continue her quest to play WNBL

Reflecting on the journey of the JackJumpers, Sharn believes that the success of the team has laid a platform for the women's side to come to fruition.

It’s been thirty years since Tasmania last competed in the WNBL with the Hobart Islanders, and many Tasmanians view the move as long-overdue recognition of the state's untapped basketball talent and fandom.

“The support that Tasmania will give to this team is something we would want to show the rest of the country,” Haywardd said.

“This team will help those young girls be able to see where they can get to, and having a pathway to be able to represent Tasmania on the big stage will inspire many kids.

“The support Tasmania has given to the JackJumpers, selling out games, has set such a great starting point for a WNBL team to come in.

“It’s created an environment where we can finally have greater access to support a team and have the opportunity to go to more games with them now being in Tasmania.”

Hayward played her youth basketball in Penguin, Tasmania before spending four years at NCAA Division I Stonehill College in its women’s basketball program.

She returned to Australia this year and signed with Willetton in the NBL1 West Conference.

“The support at home games, even after we lost and the men played in their finals game, the atmosphere in the Willetton stadium was unbelievable to be a part of,” she said.

“Basketball culture in Australia as a whole is still growing, but there’s so much support there, so to see that in a different state was very cool.

Since their inception in 2021, the JackJumpers have shown just how hungry Tassie fans are to see basketball played on home soil. With the side selling out every home game, the introduction of a Tasmanian WNBL team feels like a fitting reward for a state that has long been overlooked.

WNBL CEO Jennie Sager told WNBL.com.au, “It's not just about the business side of it; it's also about the community and it's clear that the community wants a women's team here.”

The move is set to change the dynamic of basketball in Tasmania, with the NBL and WNBL sides now providing pathways for young Tasmanians aspiring to make it professionally. It also represents the ongoing growth in the women's game and the need to capitalise on local youth talent, with one in five girls aged 5-14 now playing basketball in Australia.

Her season at the Willetton Tigers ended in the elimination final against the Perry Lakes Hawks, 88-76. Through 12 games Sharn averaged 11.2 points and shot 37% from beyond the arc.

“The culture of the program they have there, and all of the people involved, I couldn't have enjoyed my time there more than I did,” she said.

At Stonehill, Sharn set the Northeast Conference alight when she knocked down 111 threes in her 2024-25 season and led the conference in minutes played.

“Every game was competitive, and in the NBL1 West, you need to learn to be able to adapt and change rapidly throughout games,” she revealed.

“It’s such a strong competition and one I would go back to if there was an opportunity there as well.

Hayward was a teammate of Australian Opals star and WNBL champion Zitina Aokuso.

“We had a great leadership group that pushed our team to be better, and obviously when you play with the likes of Zitina, having come from her Opal’s campaign, it sets high standards,” Hayward said.

“It was great to have her knowledge and experience, which helped the team be better and helped me improve my game as well.”

With the Tasmanian WNBL franchise set to join the league in the 2026-27 season, Sharn is one of many aspiring Tasmanian basketballers who can now dream of representing their state at the highest level.