Basketball Australia has begun a wide-scale external review into the Women's National Basketball League "to ensure its long-term viability, with a salary cap, player points grading system and marquee player allowance among the topics up for debate," according to Jon Tuxworth of the CANBERRA TIMES. But interim BA CEO Scott Derwin "virtually guaranteed the long-term future of the eight existing clubs, including the Canberra Capitals, even if auditors recommended otherwise." Derwin said that "every aspect will be put on the table, as if the review was starting a league from scratch." BA "is keen to ensure an even disparity of talent across clubs to lessen the gap between the heavyweights and also-rans." The league’s financial stability "has been under the microscope since Logan Thunder folded after last season, and many other clubs struggle to keep their heads above water." Derwin said, "It’s about looking for an optimum model for a league if you had a clean sheet of paper and you’re starting from square one. ... If the consultants came forward with a recommendation to say one or two of the current clubs should no longer be there, I would be very surprised if the board would accept that. ... We’re not going to sweep them aside, that would be totally wrong and immoral." Derwin "expected the review to take three months," and most recommendations would be put in place by the '15-16 season (CANBERRA TIMES, 7/17).
