Celebrating Culture: WNBL unveils Indigenous jerseys
The Cygnett WNBL Indigenous Round kicks off on Wednesday Night with the Adelaide Lightning hosting the Sydney Flames on Kaurna Country. With 5 more games throughout the round, there’s still plenty of action to be seen. Check out the fixture here.
Learn about all of the stories from the artists, and jump on the WNBL Shop to get your singlet.
ADELAIDE
Artist: Pauly and Hunter Vandenbergh
Lightning and Astronomy plays an important part in culture for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across this land. Designed by Paul Vandenbergh and his daughter Hunter, this design features several elements to display about the culture it exudes including about the history, the land, the club, and the people that make up the South Australian community and the Adelaide Lightning.
The symbols such as the Tjindu (The Sun) which represents the , Gabarli (Grandmothers) representing them sitting, watching and sharing their wisdom and stories, tracks and shapes represent past elders, life giving, the Kaurna people and the land the club trains and plays on, the current players, coaches and staff and of course the fans, the members and supporters who continue to inspire people to represent the Lightning on the national stage
BENDIGO
Artist: Daikota Nelson
Designed by local Dja Dja Wurrung artist Daikota Nelson, the Spirit will proudly wear the special Indigenous-themed jersey as part of the WNBL’s Indigenous Round, which celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and the Indigenous women shaping our game.
Daikota explained the inspiration behind her brilliant artwork was depicting the ups and downs people experience in their basketball journey.
“The inspiration for the work was trying to represent a journey and growth but also acknowledging the ups and downs within the journey of basketball is, you can’t win every single game or someone might hurt themselves along the way,” Daikota explained.
“Acknowledging that there’s a journey and a team and people coming together in that collaboration and celebrating, but there’s also the other side to it that isn’t so pretty.”
GEELONG
Artist: David Flagg
David Flagg, the artist behind the design said “The design represents unity, everyone involved in the club is family. It doesn’t matter what part – coach, player, supporter, you’re all part of the Geelong United family.”
Check out this video with David HERE
PERTH
Artist: Aaron Sutton
The design vividly captures the unity of our team, intertwined with the organization and the community as we embark on this transformative Lynx journey together. The circular motif symbolizes a continuous flow, revealing the intricate layers of determination, effort, and sacrifice that players, staff, and the community share for one another. Each layer seamlessly blends into a harmonious whole.
The multiple pathways converging toward the center reflect the diverse journeys of everyone in this collective, reminding us of the importance of knowing our origins and the significance of our individual journeys—to ourselves and those around us. Indeed, the journey is everything.
At the forefront, three figures gracefully rise above the circular design. They embody the younger generation, those who watch, dream, and draw inspiration from our actions. These three women are a tribute to my three daughters, whose passion for basketball ignites their dreams as they eagerly watch the Lynx play. They symbolize countless young people who stand in awe of the Lynx and the powerful legacy we represent.
In the backdrop, the Lynx fur print envelops the entire design, reminding each player to embody the spirit of the Lynx and merge into one formidable identity. The colors used are rich with meaning: the bold raspberry red represents the land, brimming with life and energy; the sunny creamsicle hue symbolizes success and achievement; and the deep black signifies the strength, elegance, and power of our people. Together, these elements resonate with the heart and soul of our journey.
SOUTHSIDE
Artist: Emma Stenhouse
The weave in the Centre on the left represents the team and all of our strengths tightly woven together – when we weave are thoughts and intentions are held to create a basket where we keep our goals together, each strand in our weave holds our values.
The Journey that runs from bottom left to top right is lined with our fans and families as they support us to succeed. The Mountain on the right represents the challenges we face throughout the season, and yet we strive to make it to the top, helping each other along the way.
The footprints represent the path we are on, the legacy we leave behind us and a path for others to follow Five white circles represent our five players on the court – each owning their role and playing for the team. The series of lines across the piece represents the land from above as we have a Birdseye view, flying above, together we soar as one.
SYDNEY
Artist: Stewart James
The basis of this season’s design, as James stated as ‘to go forward in life, you must know who you are and where you come from’. “[Identity] includes the stories that have built the foundations of who the Sydney Flames are as a club, how they represent the people and the areas across Sydney, and the proud history and culture of all that has come before them,” James said.
Throughout the design (as shown on the graphic), there are symbols that hold important meaning and are intentionally designed in a way that explains the geographical connection between all the areas across Sydney. There are five meeting places the symbols acknowledge, including the ancestral lands and waters of all the First Nations clan groups that cover the entire footprint of the Sydney area. Leading outwards from these symbols are swirling lines that connect to the entire design, which demonstrates the link to the old stories and the new stories.
Townsville’s Indigenous Round jersey, designed by Chris Gray, is a heartfelt tribute to the region, incorporating three key elements that represent the community. The jersey showcased the Fire team for the season, along with two iconic Townsville landmarks; Castle Hill and The Strand. With a blend of the Fire’s signature colours, this design is not only visually striking, but also deeply personal, embodying the spirit of the community and organisation.
At the top of the jersey, you’ll find connection circles, symbolizing the unity between the Fire and our community. The “U” shapes within the design represent people, highlighting our shared journey and the bonds that bring us together. These symbols celebrate the strength and togetherness of our community.
Castle Hill takes center stage on the jersey, symbolizing a must-see landmark that captures the unique spirit of Townsville. This iconic destination reflects the beauty and character of our community, connecting our team and fans to the heart of the region.
The shield and boomerang on the jersey represent protection and honor our ancestors’ tradition of hunting. The boomerang is detailed with kangaroo tracks, symbolizing the path and resilience of our journey together.
At the bottom of the jersey, you’ll find The Strand, another key landmark that embodies our connection to Townsville. Chris has also incorporated footprints here, symbolizing our shared journey through the season, walking side by side as a team and community.
Ngunnawal man Richard Allan collaborated with the team to determine what is important to them and transformed it into an incredible uniform that incorporates community, strength, togetherness, protection, history and the journey towards reconciliation into the design.
Circles: Each individual circle represents community. Within each circle there are wavy lines and dots representing the journey the players go on each day. The weave and cross over lines are the basket weaving, which in Ngunnawal culture is very important for the women as it symbolises togetherness and strength.
The U Shapes: This is the symbol for women. Richard used the pink and purple shades requested by the Caps and reflects the healing leaves on Ngunnawal country.
Wedgetail eagle footprints: The players requested a wedgetail eagle on the design, which is the totem spirit for the Ngunnawal People. The footprints down the middle signify the wedge tail eagle guiding us on our journey.
The Cygnett WNBL’s Indigenous Round will take place from Nov 20 – 24.