The Stormy Summer of Basketball
After a well-earned Christmas and New Year break, Blacktown Storm wasted no time returning to the court, launching straight into a packed schedule of summer tournaments across NSW. With strong performances, promising debuts, and plenty of development opportunities, it has been a productive and exciting start to 2026.
It all started in mid-January with Youth League Men Purple heading to the capital to participate in the Premier League Division of the 2026 Canberra Classic. Blending familiar faces with exciting new additions, the squad quickly showed they are a team to watch this season. After battling through a series of tough matchups, they advanced all the way to the Grand Final, finishing as proud runners-up! What an impressive result and a clear statement for the year ahead.
The following week your Youth League Women and Waratah Women headed to Auburn for the one-day SBI Tournament. Both teams showed the benefits from the training sessions in the summer heat as they cruised through their pool games to set up an all-Blacktown Storm Grand Final. In a fantastic showcase of the team’s depth and talent, Waratah Women came out on top but the real win was seeing two Storm teams competing for the title.
The annual trip to the Central Coast came up next with 11 of our 16 Junior Blacktown Storm teams competing across two big weekends.
In the Division 2/3 weekend, U12 Boys Gold, U14 Girls Gold, U14 Boys Gold, U16 Girls Purple and U18 Girls Gold competed strongly. While finals appearances narrowly escaped them, the teams gained valuable experience and showed promising signs for the season ahead.
The following weekend featured our Division One teams: U14 Boys Purple, U16 Girls Gold, U16 Boys Gold, U18 Girls Purple, U18 Boys Gold and U18 Boys Purple.
The standout performance came from U14 Boys Purple, who dominated their pool games and powered their way into the Grand Final. Although they fell just short of the title, their performance confirmed they will be strong contenders this season.
Closer to home, two Storm teams (U14 Girls Purple and U12 Girls Purple) competed in the Hills Summer Slam tournament. Each side played three high-quality games against strong Metro Sydney opposition. The format provided an ideal preseason test, giving players a competitive edge and valuable preparation ahead of the upcoming MJL season.
The last of the Summer tournaments ended in the south-west at Camden Valley. The U12 Girls Gold got their first run, many of them stepping into representative basketball for the first time. While wins didn’t come their way on this occasion, the experience gained was invaluable. The group continues to grow in confidence, develop their skills, and build strong team chemistry as they begin their representative journey.
These summer tournaments are only possible thanks to the incredible commitment of our coaches, managers, and supportive parents. Their dedication provides our athletes with opportunities to compete, improve, and represent Blacktown Storm with pride.
Excited to get the season started! Stay tuned for more updates.
