The Women's National Basketball League announced on Friday that the 2021-22 season would begin on Thursday, December 2.

While the fixture is yet to be finalised, the Spirit's first game of the season is expected to be an away clash against the Melbourne Boomers at the State Netball and Hockey Stadium.

After struggling on the court the past few seasons, the Spirit will field a new-look squad this summer, including high-profile recruit Leilani Mitchell.

The Opals point guard was the Spirit's headline signing in the off-season and she'll join Australian team-mate Tessa Lavey in a formidable backcourt.

Canadian power forward Katherine Plouffe adds some experience and class to the frontcourt, while the sweet-shooting Maddie Garrick and rebounding machine Anneli Maley give the Spirit the depth the club has lacked in recent seasons.

A broadcast deal with Foxtel, Kayo and ABC means Spirit fans won't miss any of the action with every WNBL game being broadcast across the season.

Both Fox Sports and ABC will feature a game of the round live each week in the premium 5pm Saturday timeslot.

All 84 regular season games and finals will be broadcast live on Kayo. In addition, up to two games per week will be broadcast live on Kayo Freebies and one game per week on Kayo YouTube.

"This broadcast deal is a win for the fans who are at the heart of every decision we make,'' Basketball Australia chief executive Matt Scriven said.

"The fans wanted live games in the premium Saturday 5pm time slot and this will be available on Fox Sports and ABC.

"The quality of the competition at the WNBL is world class, Foxtel, Kayo and ABC have the combined audiences to ensure the games can be watched in every household.

"The WNBL showcases the best talent in the country, and this broadcast deal ensures all the fans will have access to quality coverage throughout the season."

Head of Women in Basketball at Basketball Australia, Lauren Jackson, said the organisation was striving to deliver world class opportunities to women and young girls across playing, coaching, officiating and administrating basketball.

"Women's basketball continues to grow each year with interest at an all-time high and more people playing our sport than ever before,'' she said.

"We want more girls playing basketball and having global role models playing in a competition on home soil is the key.

"As we head towards a FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Sydney next year, the WNBL will continue to grow and showcase the best talent in the country."

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