Could the Australian Institute of Sport make a return to the WNBL?

As the league prepares to step into an exciting new era, could it also go back to the future? WNBL Special Advisor Lauren Jackson weighs in on her own experience in the pathway program.

Photo credit: WNBL

Back in 1999, the league MVP of the WNBL’s championship winning team didn’t earn a single cent. At least, not from her employer.

“Mum and dad gave me $20 a week which was nice,” Lauren Jackson recalls with a laugh. “We were kids, we weren’t paid. We obviously just had the costs of the AIS, and training and food and everything like that.”

Jackson was just a teenager then, but already a trailblazer. Her ability to lead a team of unpaid teenagers to a historic title cannot be overstated. If we’re being honest, it’s the type of feat that deserves its own doco. But in hindsight, and through the lens of the modern basketball landscape, what’s really interesting is how that scenario might play out in 2025.

Put simply, if Jackson was in the same position today, there’s almost no way of quantifying her true value. She could theoretically command a six figure salary from WNBL any team, along with the unlimited perks that come with her kind of currency. A free car (likely a Ford), housing, clothes, supplements and sponsorships would be the tip of the iceberg for her management.

Alternatively, someone of her talents could take their pick of blue chip college programs. And while it’d one thing to choose a school tailor made to her talents, or link up with a specific coach, it’s the NIL opportunities that have truly changed the game’s financial landscape. Schools are splashing huge amounts of cash to secure top tier talent, and some NIL deals are eclipsing seven figures. All that, as well as unlimited school merchandise, and not to mention their choice of undergraduate degree.

Either way, times have changed a LOT since 1999. And I bring up this hypothetical because during a recent interview with Jackson, her thoughts on the league’s future piqued my interest. Specifically, her answer to a question about what’s changed in the past 25 years.

“I mean obviously back then, the AIS girls were in the WNBL, and I still think there’s a part of me that truly believes the AIS kids should still be in the WNBL. I guess women mature a lot quicker that what guys do, and that opportunity to get them playing in a professional women’s league at a young age really helps them develop quicker, and obviously gets them into our pathways, and seen quickly.”

This reflection prompted an elaborate discussion about own her experiences, potential pathways for elite juniors, and the best way to maintain the country’s status as an international powerhouse.

It all begs one burning question: Could resurrecting the AIS model be a potential option for the WNBL’s new era?