WAGGA Blaze coach Peter O'Leary remains hopeful his team will be afforded a chance to defend their Waratah League division two premiership.
With Basketball NSW competitions suspended until at least June 29, officials face a race against time to squeeze enough fixtures in to justify a season taking place this year.
Although men's side Wagga Heat elected to take this year off before the coronavirus pandemic set in, the Blaze were set to shoot for a fourth straight championship with a similar squad, aside from American imports Shakera Barnes and Khiani Clark.
Given there's only nine teams in the Waratah League division two, a full round could be completed relatively quickly should organisers opt for double headers at a central venue over two or three weekends.
"We don't know at this stage (whether the season is cancelled), although I highly suspect it is," O'Leary said.
"Given the finals are normally the second weekend in August, I can't possibly see them running a competition unless it's a one round-type thing. They may do a modified schedule, or write it off and look towards 2021.
"We don't know what we're doing, we've paid our money and waiting for an outcome.
"To justify the money (the club has paid) they may want to play two weekends in Sydney and have round robins up there.
"But you have to bear in mind they would have to do that for other leagues called off, and it then becomes a court availability issue."
O'Leary said the team fully understands the situation they're in given four players are involved in the health industry.
Centre Hannah Ryan is a medical student, captain Steph Male a radiographer, Summa Stephens a director of nursing and Caren Hugo a pharmacist.
"We were training right up until shutdown happened and all the girls are pretty disappointed, but we're no different to anyone else," Ryan said.
"Maddy Clyne broke her foot at training, and she may have been out for the duration anyway.
We're the same team except for the imports, and some young ones we were going to give a chance."
