In 1984, the Hobart Hustlers were inaugural champions of the Women's Basketball Conference (WBC). In 1985, the Hustlers finished third in the WBC.[2]
Hobart Islanders (1986–1996)
The Hobart Islanders made their debut in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) in the 1986 season, finishing tenth with an 8–16 record.[3] The Islanders finished tenth in 1987 with a 4–16 record and last in 1988 with a 0–22 record.[3]
In 1989, the Islanders finished second with a 16–7 record and reached the WNBL Grand Final behind league MVP Kathy Foster, who averaged a league-leading 20.3 points per game.[3] In the grand final, they lost 80–69 to the Nunawading Spectres.[1] In 1990, the Islanders again finished second with a 19–5 record[3] and returned to the WNBL Grand Final, where they lost 72–57 to the North Adelaide Rockets.[1] In 1991, the Islanders finished first with an 18–4 record and reached their third straight WNBL Grand Final.[1][3] In the grand final, Robyn Maher top scored with 19 points to lead the Islanders to their maiden WNBL championship with a 67–64 win over the Nunawading Spectres at Kingborough Sports Centre.[4]
The Islanders dropped to eighth with a 7–13 record in 1992 before finishing on the bottom of the ladder each year between 1993 and 1995.[3] In their final season in the WNBL in 1996, they finish ninth with a 2–16 record.[1][3]
