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THE WNBL, the national women's competition launched in 1981 after three Adelaide coaches took matters into their own hands, is now strongly reputed to be facing the loss and extinction of its once highly successful Adelaide Lightning franchise from its competition next season.

The Pelligra Group which owns the Adelaide Lightning license is believed to have handed it in to Basketball Australia but been rejected. As a result, Pelligra will see out the 2024-25 season but apparently loudly has foreshadowed its intention to "consciously uncouple" from the club when this season concludes.

It is not the first time the future of the Lightning has been in jeopardy. Inaugurated by the Basketball Association of SA as a composite club in 1993, the state association ran the club until private ownership occurred in 2006.

By 2014, owner Vince Marino declared the cost of continuing to run the club was beyond his means and once again it took a concerted campaign to salvage it.

It has been a consistent story and now appears to be happening again.

Short-priced championship favourite Bendigo Spirit gave Lightning an 84-70 opening round lesson in how to play a last quarter, outscoring Adelaide 19-7.

Adelaide was missing triple-Olympian Steph Talbot (injured) but Bendigo was down Kelsey Griffin.

It will be challenging for the team to maintain its on-court focus with its long-term future hanging in the balance.

Perth meanwhile handed defending champion and its grand final conqueror Southside a 94-79 mauling, and don't let that scoreline fool you. The Lynx led by as many as 31 and it took a 22-8 final period assault by the Flyers to get this final scoreline looking anything resembling flattering.

Sydney had its way with Canberra 102-85 and there were sure signs in this opening round of what is to come.

So don't be surprised if a Bendigo-Perth championship series is where this will conclude next year.