West Coast Waves (Women's National Basketball League)
| Perth Lynx | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Leagues | WNBL |
| Founded | 1988 |
| History |
Perth Breakers 1988; 1990–2001 Perth Lynx 2001–2010; 2015–present West Coast Waves 2010–2015 |
| Arena | Bendat Basketball Centre |
| Capacity | 2,000 |
| Location | Perth, Western Australia |
| Team colors | Red and black |
| CEO | Troy Georgiu |
| Head coach | Andy Stewart |
| Team captain | Tessa Lavey |
| Ownership | Jack Bendat |
| Championships | 1 (1992) |
| Website | PerthLynx.com |
The Perth Lynx are an Australian women's professional basketball team in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). Based in Perth, Western Australia, the Lynx are the only team representing Western Australia in the WNBL. The club was owned by Basketball Western Australia from 2001 to 2015 until Perth Wildcats chairman and owner Dr. Jack Bendat purchased the licence of the team in April 2015.
Originally formed as the Perth Breakers in 1988, the club was successful for many years under that moniker. The Breakers appeared in the WNBL finals from 1991 to 1996, winning a championship in 1992 under super coach Tom Maher. Australian basketball legends such as Robyn Maher, Tully Bevilaqua and Michele Timms played for the Breakers during this period. After missing the finals in 1997, the Breakers appeared in three more finals campaigns over the next three years.
After a change of ownership in 2001, the Breakers were re-branded as the Perth Lynx. In the years up until 2010, the team did not see much success. Many years of mediocre performances towards the bottom of the ladder, which included setting a WNBL record for the longest ever losing streak, led the team to re-evaluate its operations. Regardless of the team's lack of on-court success, the Lynx were able to lure some star players to the program including Carly Wilson, Shelley Hammonds, Samantha Richards, Rohanee Cox and Deanna Smith.
In 2010, David Herbert was appointed as head coach of the newly dubbed West Coast Waves. The administration of the program was largely focused on rebranding and developing the program in the off-season and the result was a new team name, uniforms and team colours in time for the 2010–11 WNBL season. Following the appointment of Herbert, home-grown player Tully Bevilaqua was also signed for the 2010–11 season. The 2010–11 season saw the team finish with a win/loss record of 8–14, its most successful season in over a decade.
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