Basketball Australia is hopeful of concluding a deal to get the WNBL back on TV before the finals, as coaches in the competition express concern over the lack of coverage and the potential harm to the sport.
The WNBL had been seen on the ABC for 35 years before the national broadcaster axed its coverage following the end of last season as part of budget cuts.
With only one win separating the top five clubs with five rounds remaining, the competition is hurtling towards it's most exciting climax in recent memory.
However, the only live coverage this season has been internet streaming of a small amount of games.
"We've been in discussions with one of the major commercial broadcaster networks since prior to the beginning of the season about free to air coverage fOr the WNBL," WNBL general manger Paul Maley told AAP.
"But it's together with rights to Boomers and Opals matches as part of their World Cup qualification series.
"That necessitated involving FIBA (basketball's world governing body) because they hold the rights to those matches.
"It's reasonably complex and we were obviously disappointed to miss the start of the (WNBL) season.
"We were pushing hard to try and get a deal done prior to Christmas and it hasn't happened.
"We've discussed terms for a multi-year deal and we're still working hard to bringing that to fruition.
"We're looking at hopefully getting coverage of finals in place and then being able to announce a deal."
The resurgent NBL is getting regular pay TV coverage and with the WBBL cricket attracting strong free-to-air-ratings and the inaugural women's AFL competition set to enter the marketplace in 2017, WNBL basketball identities are concerned their sport is losing out.
"The WBBL is going gangbusters, the W-League is going well," Bendigo coach Simon Pritchard told AAP.
"And with the way the (women's) AFL is going, it's really bad timing for the WNBL to be off the screen."
Dandenong coach Larissa Anderson said she felt gutted about the situation.
"I played like 300 WNBL games, I have never been in the position where there is such a lack of coverage for such an amazing league," Anderson told AAP.
"I know the WNBL and BA are doing everything they can, but I just would love to see more games live."
"I just really hope that it turns soon, because this has got to be in all my seasons involved in the WNBL, one of the most exciting going on right now."
Maley understands where the coaches are coming from.
"To have an Australian league that is regarded as the second best in the world and not to have it on television is definitely frustrating," Maley said,
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