Tasmania will be an option for Australian WNBA star Alanna Smith should she decide to play in the WNBL for a second time.
The Apple Isle was on Tuesday morning announced as the 9th license with the new outfit to join the competition in 2026-27.
Olympic and World Cup medallist Smith, who's family, including father, former NBL player and current Jack Jumpers chief operating officer Darren, live in Hobart, is at the peak of her powers in the WNBA and been rewarded with lucrative deals in China and Europe in recent years.
And although she doesn't plan to add to the lone WNBL season she played for Adelaide in 2021-22 anytime soon, Smith said she now has genuine links to a club.
"Having Tasmania as that option as a WNBL team in the future, love it. Love it for me, love it for the young Tasmanian girls," she told ESPN.
"Is it something I'm going to do? Potentially. I would love to be able to play in Australia, it is my home and I've only played one WNBL season there in Adelaide.
"The way basketball is going and growing, the WNBL is only going to improve."
The Smith more likely to represent the new WNBL club could be youngest child Andie,16, who is in the early days of her basketball journey at the Centre of Excellence in Canberra.
"I'm so happy for Andie to have the opportunity that I had when I was in Melbourne, we lived in Melbourne and I got to train and work out with WNBL players at Bulleen very early on in my junior career," Alanna said.
"For Andie to be able to do it at home, she won't have to go anywhere she can do it in the comfort of her own state.
"It creates an easier pathway for Tasmanian girls to have elite players to look up to and that idea of if you can see it you can be. Training opportunities for locals, development player spots - it's so good for the pathway for young girls. Being able to give them a chance to develop and do that at home is really cool."
Smith spoke to ESPN after landing in New York for what looms as a fascinating clash with the Liberty on Wednesday. The teams, which contested last year's five-game Finals epic, last met on Sunday with Minnesota downing the reigning champs by 6 points.
The Lynx are top of the overall standings with a 28-5 record, Liberty (21-13) is third, and have learned from the heartbreak of 2024.
"We just know how hard the Finals series is, that final game, we know how much work it takes and how much you have to do to get there," Smith explains.
"I don't want to say it was like a practice run, because we took last year really seriously and our aim was to win it, but we've been through all of those things before now and we're so close. We understand what it takes.
"There's been so many moments in my career that I've been grateful for and that have ticked boxes in terms of goals and aspirations but obviously a WNBA championship is on there too and that would almost complete the set."
Smith is enjoying a terrific campaign, averaging 10 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game and is equal league-leader with A'ja Wilson for blocks (2.1).
"I feel like I've kind of found my groove. I feel like I've really solidified my identity as a basketball player and so that's something that's just coming really naturally for me at the moment which is really cool.
"Life goes on outside of basketball games and it hasn't swayed how I'm playing. I think it's learning how to be a professional. Yes, I love playing basketball but it's also my job and I have to show up and perform.
"Being able to do that is something I've had to learn over a period of time."
Unfortunately, the 2025 WNBA season has been marred by several crude incidents where sex toys have been thrown onto the court by rogue fans.
Smith says Lynx players had discussed if it happened in one of their games and agreed they would throw the object back at the individual it came from.
"It has a lot to do with the WNBA being a women's league you don't see this is men's sport," she says.
"It's a lot to do with how women are viewed as political bodies. Everyone has an opinion about what women should look like, how they should act, how they should speak and that leaks into the sport and people are focusing on all of that instead of the sport itself.
"Making a joke of that type of thing too, with the dildos and everything, I think it has a lot to with how women's bodies in particular are politicised more so than men.
"It's just the nature of being in a women's league that's gaining more popularity and hopefully over time that stuff will phase out and we'll be recognised for what we're there to do which is play a sport and doing it really, really well.
"Basketball is a sport we love to play and we have to focus on the good things that come with the increase in popularity."
It's also been an interesting time on social media.
In May, Smith commented on an Instagram post by magazine Fruitslice which in an article about "the gayest team in the WNBA" claimed she was one of the "openly gay" players.
"So sorry to disappoint but this is me coming out publicly as straight. I'm a strong ally tho (sic)" Smith posted.
"I'm a pretty open person so I'm OK with coming out as straight which is rare for straight people in general to come out," Smith told ESPN.
"I'm comfortable in my identity and sexuality but that type of stuff comes at a cost to people who aren't ready to do that or aren't comfortable about their sexuality being speculated.
"It doesn't happen anywhere else than in women's sport."