Opals star centre Liz Cambage is set to go head-to-head with five-time league MVP Suzy Batkovic in a mouth-watering start to the revamped WNBL.
Cambage, who last played in the domestic competition five years ago, will suit up for Melbourne Boomers against Batkovic's Townsville Fire on October 7
The Fire's front court will also include Cambage's 2016 Olympic teammate Cayla George, who returns to Townsville after winning a title in Hungary.
Cambage should also be in action the night before in a Melbourne derby against Dandenong.
That will be one of three opening night games, with Sydney starting their title defence away to Adelaide and Canberra hosting Bendigo.
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The champions play their 2017 vanquished grand final and semi final opponents, Dandenong and Townsville, in rounds two and three respectively.
Cambage and George are among several Opals returning to the WNBL.
The other Australian representatives coming back to deepen the talent pool are Abby Bishop, Jenna O'Hea, Rachel Jarry, Nat Hurst and Katie-Rae Ebzery.
They will contest a shortened regular season in which teams will play 21 games across 13 rounds in less than three months.
"The condensed nature of this season's draw means it is going to be a war of attrition," Fire captain Batkovic said.
"There's no time to rest, so every team will be hoping to come out all guns blazing."
The returning stars and a television deal will add lustre to the WNBL, which had been overtaken in exposure by other less established national women's sporting competitions, including the WBBL, AFLW and Super Netball.
Not seen on television for the past two seasons, the WNBL have inked a deal with Fox Sports, who will show one match a week and provide live coverage of all finals.
The last regular season matches will be played on New Year's Eve, with the best-of-three semi-finals and grand final series taking place in January 2018.
