"A miracle": The inside story of how the Adelaide Lightning was saved

With confirmation that the Lightning will continue in the WNBL, here's exactly how the club found itself on the brink, and the 11th hour intervention that saved the historic franchise from folding.

Photo credit: Getty Images

“The state government is concerned to say the least.”

The Premier of South Australia, Peter Malinauskas, made that statement during question time in state parliament on May 1, when asked about the future Adelaide Lightning. It’s fair to say he wasn’t the only person concerned.

In the 48 hours prior, legendary Lightning figures Rachael Sporn and Jan Stirling had both shared impassioned, public grievances over the club’s dire situation. Group chats filled with former players were blowing up: ‘is the team about to fold?’, they all wondered. The club’s long serving team manager throughout their four championships in the 1990s, and a fixture at every game since, had been left devastated. The news of a potential collapse was so heartbreaking she hadn’t been able to sleep.

Homegrown guard Tayla Brazel detailed the stress that accompanied the prospect of her team folding - one day before her contract was unexpectedly terminated. Privately, additional players expressed grave concerns, covertly considering playing futures both interstate and overseas.

So when the South Australian Premier addressed the situation in the state’s highest public forum, it seemed like an issue that had been quietly simmering for months had finally boiled over.

As a premier, Peter Malinauskas is extremely well regarded for his work in the professional sporting landscape, as well as his efforts in saving institutions from ruin. He’s outmuscled rival states to secure hosting rights for the AFL’s marquee event, Gather Round, and boldly landed the biggest event on the international LIV Golf calendar. He’s fiercely passionate about getting children off screens, spearheading sweeping reform around social media use, and consistently supporting investment in grassroots sports.

He’s helped save the town of Whyalla from ruin, swooping in to force the town’s Steelworks into administration. On a smaller scale, he’s brokered deals to save the Crown and Anchor, a historic live music pub under threat of demolition, while also intervening to prevent a controversial restructure of the SA Museum. He’s a man who’s assumed the role of a white knight many times. If there was anyone equipped to save the Adelaide Lightning, it was him.

But what prompted the state leader to suddenly consider acting on behalf of the Adelaide Lightning, an organisation that had been hemorrhaging money for years? An organisation repeatedly rebuffed by multiple government regimes for funding and grant applications? An organisation that was on the brink of total collapse only as recently as 2019?

His initial comments were prompted by a bombshell report I filed on 9 News Adelaide two days prior to question time.

Credit: Adelaide Lightning

The team’s future in the WNBL had been uncertain for months. Ownership group Pelligra, headed up by Steve Wren, had been desperate to wipe their hands of the club license, and had Sydney-based buyers ready to take the reins midway through last WNBL season. But when those prospective buyers opted out, it prompted a mad scramble for an alternative solution. They were on the clock, and seeking out any parties interested in buying the team. At least one conversation became serious enough, that NDAs were signed.

But alas, there was no breakthrough. It appeared the WNBL would take charge of the club. Pelligra would hand back the license, and it was widely understood new league ownership wanted to stay in the Adelaide market. They’d prop the club up until they found a new buyer. Right?

Let’s go back to February. As the WNBL geared up for its finals series, the Lightning were ready to move past a bitterly disappointing season. The club’s MVP event was fairly uneventful, save for the faux pas of one player winning an award, only to then be told she hadn’t actually won it. She was then forced to hand it back in front of everyone, as awkward looks were exchanged across the room. Somehow, it wasn’t the strangest moment of the night. All water cooler chatter was reserved for one nugget Wren dropped during his speech. The owner - or outgoing owner? - intimated the league’s new ownership didn’t actually have the full support of its current teams. A faction of team owners allegedly believed the new CBA was not feasible, nor cost effective. As a result, a number of teams - the Lightning included - would not be accepting the terms. This was perhaps the first sign of real trouble brewing in Adelaide.

Days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months, with no progress, until a groundbreaking new Collective Bargaining Agreement was rubber stamped, and announced to widespread approval. And this was good news! But as the league prepared for an exciting new era, it appeared it was one Adelaide may not be a part of. The Lightning was the only club not signed into the restructured league, with other owners seemingly changing their tune regarding the CBA. It also came to light Pelligra had decided they no longer wanted to relinquish their license, and did in fact want to maintain ownership of the Lightning.

Players, coaches, and fans were all clueless. Why had the Lightning been left out? Who was actually running the team? Would there be a team next season? I called Steve Wren for an interview, hoping to gain some clarity over what the future held. I asked him if the Lightning would exist in two months. His response?

“I would doubt the Adelaide Lightning will exist in two weeks.”

What followed was a domino effect that saw contracts terminated, ultimatums made, a stand off over the club’s branding, crisis talks, government intervention, and eventually, a landmark deal that might just secure the club’s future once and for all.