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TOWNSVILLE is almost unbackable as favourite to win the 2025-26 WNBL championship but Perth's Han Xu coup has thrown a 211cm wrinkle into that confidence, although banking early wins without her will be critical for the Lynx who open their campaign in Adelaide on Sunday.

Xu, 25, and who was in the FIBA World Cup All Star Five at Sydney 2022 - along with Lightning's Steph Talbot - will not be with the Lynx early as she first must complete her commitment at the Chinese National Games from November 9-21 in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau.

In the interim, Perth is expected to activate 191cm WNBA power forward Brianna Turner, a three-year WNBL veteran at Adelaide Lightning.

Perth welcomes back Amy Atwell, Alex Wilson, Anneli Maley and Alex Ciabattoni and should once again very much be in the playoff picture.

One of the bigger issues for Townsville coach Shannon Seebohm, fresh off his outfit claiming the Townsville Tip-Off Preseason tournament, will be how he chooses to start.

Multi-talented Asia Cup MVP Alex Fowler, Courtney Woods, Abbey Ellis, Alicia Froling, Lauren Cox, Miela Sowah, Lucy Olsen ... Seebohm has a Fire squad with talent to burn.

They open their season in Bendigo and look ripe to start the Spirit's championship defence with a home dent.

Bendigo has retained Kelsey Griffin, Marianna Tolo, Abbey Wehrung and Casey Samuels from its main title-winning rotation and added Paris Olympian Isobel Borlase from Adelaide.

The season launches with Southside Flyers - now Southside MELBOURNE Flyers - hosting Canberra Capitals, the visitors already minus newly-recruited centre Zitina Aokuso to injury.

Jade Melbourne is back from the WNBA to lead the Caps, who picked up Tokyo Oympian Sara Blicavs after a year off healing a serious back injury. A warning to all, Blicavs has never looked better.

Southside biggest off-season "get" was Lightning free agent Isabelle Bourne, who already showed her worth by making history as the inaugural winner of the Tiana Mangakahia Award as MVP of the WNBL Townsville Tip Off Tournament.

Veteran Cayla George also now is in Southside colours along with key returnees Maddi Rocci, Tera Reed and Carley Ernst.

The Flyers' big loss was PG Dallas Loughridge who joins a rejuvenated Adelaide Lightning club which likely will have to use Season 2025-26 as the foundation for better times ahead.

Geelong United, now "the Venom" laid its foundation in its 2024-25 WNBL debut, then added to that by playing much of its group in the NBL1 South competition where it was undefeated until the GF.

The big blow for the Venom, who host Sydney in this week's opening round, is the loss to injury of inspirational PG Shyla Heal.

It will mean a shuffle of personnel that will make Geelong vulnerable early, although Jaz Shelley, Alex Sharp, Elisa Brett and Gemma Potter - who has the potential to be another Alex Fowler - all return and Mackenzie Clinch add inside-outside scoring punch.

Shaneice Swain, returning mum Lauren Nicholson and Keely Froling will ensure the Flames are competitive although at home, the season starts with a "must-win" fixture for Geelong.