New world-class training facility for Sydney Kings and Western Sydney community

Wyatt Park is officially set to become Western Sydney’s basketball hotspot with the construction of the Auburn Basketball Centre of Excellence.

The official groundbreaking ceremony on 27 August 2025 marked the beginning of a world-class high-performance basketball training facility. With demand consistently high at the existing Auburn Basketball Centre, this expansion will address the growing need for quality basketball infrastructure across the region.

Basketball is one of Australia’s fastest-growing sports, boasting a 7.1% participation rate well above Australian Rules Football and Rugby League. The new centre will provide vital pathways for aspiring players, particularly young girls and women, to inspire the next generation of athletes across Cumberland and Western Sydney.

Purpose-built to support elite development for both men’s and women’s professional basketball, the facility will cater to players from the WNBL’s Sydney Flames and the NBL’s Sydney Kings, while also opening new opportunities for community use and youth development.

Cumberland Mayor Ola Hamed said that the construction of the Basketball Centre of Excellence “will firmly establish Cumberland as a hub for elite basketball, providing our young people especially girls and young women with the chance to train locally and aspire to reach the highest levels of the sport.

“We are creating a space where athletes of all levels can come together, compete, and grow not just as players, but as leaders and role models.”

Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said:

“This facility will be a focal point for the development of the next generation of Australian Olympic and professional basketballers.

“We can be certain that in future years when the Sydney Kings and Sydney Flames raise the championship trophy that players developed at this facility will be standing on the podium.”

Co-owner and Executive Director of Hoops Capital, Matthew Denholm, said this marks an important milestone for elevating basketball from grassroots to professional across Sydney.

“We’re proud to be a club that includes athletes from across Australia and who have played in the US, Europe, Asia and represented their countries at the Olympics. This facility provides our athletes and coaches with a world-class training environment.”

“Connecting to community and grassroots basketball programs is at the heart of Hoops Capital. This facility brings our athletes into the community’s backyard and will be a cultural and sporting hub that inspires the next generation of basketball players across Sydney.”

Construction is set to begin this month, with the facility to include:

Two additional basketball courts for elite and development pathways 

• Gym 
• Hot and cold recovery spaces 
• Sport science and sports medicine spaces for athletes, allied health and students 
• Film room for player development and education 
• Office space and meeting rooms 
• Player and spectator amenities.

Situated within the 23-hectare Wyatt Park precinct, the centre is conveniently located within walking distance of Auburn and Lidcombe train stations, and easily accessible by car from Church Street, Lidcombe.

This project is jointly funded by a $15 million grant through the NSW Government’s Centre of Excellence Fund and the Cumberland City Council, underscoring a shared commitment to building a brighter sporting future for Western Sydney and its Basketball teams.