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YES at last, the WNBL tips off tonight in Hobart with the league's freshest face Tasmania Jewels hosting its second newest club Geelong Venom amid the rebirth of basketball for women in the island state. The JackJumpers have been great for the game. The Jewels will be the same.

The state's Hobart Islanders won it all back in 1991, with that Ballarat-born Tasmanian icon Robyn Maher leading the charge(rs).

Now it will be the experience of Steph Reid, Darcee Garbin and Keely Froling steering the newest club's fortunes, under the watchful eye of championship-winning coach Claudia Brassard.

A sold-out MyState Bank Arena will cheer on the Jewels and they will either glisten and rise to the occasion or be dazzled by the bright lights and fall short of a Geelong team boasting the former Flyers' championship backcourt duo of Maddi Rocci and Bec Cole.

Sydney bolstered a team built around WNBL superstar Lauren Nicholson and Agnes Emma-Nnopu with high-quality guards Jaz Shelley and Alex Wilson. Add Opals forward Issy Bourne and you know they must start favourite against Sam Mackinnon's revamped Southside in Melbourne in his first formal outing as coach.

The return of Marianna Tolo to boost Bendigo's interior stocks and to mentor burgeoning big Kelsey Rees is just the start for the Spirit. There's veteran smarts in Kelsey Griffin, Abbey Wehrung, Casey Samuels and Kelly Wilson, plus Opals Jade Melbourne and reigning league MVP Isobel Borlase.

They must start favourite against Canberra, despite the Caps securing Megan McConnell, occasionally dangerous shooter Amy Atwell and reuniting Puoch sisters.

Townsville claiming last season's championship in Perth amid one of the greatest coaching blunders of all time by the Lynx's Ryan Petrik, was one of the league's greatest games.

The Fire will return fire to open this season with most of their line-up intact while Georgia Amoore is Perth's biggest signing, Anneli Maley not expected for this outing and much falling on the shoulders of Alex Ciabattoni.

Sydney backs up at home against Adelaide, Lightning staring down a potential 0-2 start by hosting Townsville on Tuesday.

A return to the rivalry of Townsville-Bendigo for the championship appears on the cards and if Amoore is half as good as advertised, the MVP medal may find itself heading west once again.