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ABBY Bishop today closed her impressive WNBL career with a farewell win over likely champion Bendigo, Jade Melbourne firing for a 40-piece while in Adelaide, Lightning not only await Geelong tomorrow but also their fate in the competition, the latest potential new owners dropping out.

With current owners Pelligra handing back the Lightning license, two potential buyers were in discussions but now the second of them also has dropped out meaning tomorrow's match with Geelong could be the last in this club's glorious history.

Adelaide has not been represented at recent WNBL meetings to discuss the future under the joint stewardship of NBL owner Larry Kestelman and Wollemi Capital, founded by Tesla chair Robyn Denholm.

Denholm is a part-owner of Sydney's national league Kings and Flames, acquiring 49 per cent of the WNBL, Kestelman with a further 29 per cent stake.

The new ownership structure replaces overwhelmed Basketball Australia as of April 2.

Whether Adelaide Lightning, a five-time WNBL champion since it became SA's sole representative in 1993, is back for 2025-26 is now very much up in the air.

What's more galling for SA fans of the league is it was conceived in Adelaide by (then) West Adelaide, North Adelaide and Noarlunga City coaches Ted Powell, Kay McFarlane and Brendan Flynn respectively.

A rejuvenated league without an Adelaide presence appears inconceivable but this is far from the first time Lightning has been left in the financial cold by potential sponsors or owners.

Does the new WNBL support it to get back on its feet? That's in the lap of the (basketball) gods but surely means Adelaide will go out in a blaze of glory against Geelong.

That's exactly how Canberra closed its near-miss of Final Four finish, taking down Bendigo 83-74 with Jade Melbourne white hot.

Melbourne's 40 points came on 14-of-25 shooting (56 per cent), with 5-of-8 threes (63 per cent), 10 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block.

It ensured a winning send-off for Bishop, an Opals London Olympian, 2006 WNBL Rookie of the Year and its MVP a decade ago in 2015.

Bishop won WNBL championships in 2007, 2009 and 2010 with Canberra Capitals and a WNBA championship in 2010 with Seattle Storm.

Across her WNBL career, Bishop also logged time at AIS, Dandenong Rangers, Adelaide Lightning, Townsville Fire, Southside Flyers, interspersed with extensive stints in Europe and Asia, where she also won MVP honours in 2014 at the Hungarian Cup.

The WNBL regular season closes tomorrow when Townsville hosts Perth, the winner claiming their season-series and homecourt advantage over their best-of-three semi finals.

At home, it looks as if the Fire should wrap that up.