Interview with Maddy Wormald
Ipswich Basketball
In the world of British basketball, few stories are as inspiring as that of Maddy Wormald. A native Australian now making waves with Ipswich Basketball Club in England, Maddy brings not just talent, but a passion for the game that’s helping shape the sport’s growth in the UK.
We caught up with her to talk about her standout season, the contrasts between basketball cultures, and how young players—especially girls—can get involved in a sport still finding its spotlight in the UK. Keep reading or watch the full video interview 🏀
Maddy, let’s start with the 2025 season—how did it go for you?
We were fighting for the top spot pretty much all season. We play in the WNBL Division 1 here in England. So there’s the regular league, playoffs, and also a cup tournament that runs alongside.
We were lucky to win the—well, not lucky, it was a lot of hard work—but we were lucky enough to go to Manchester to play in the National Cup Final, which we won. That was back in January, so a little while ago now, but definitely the highlight of the season.
We ended up finishing second overall, which is still quite good, and we made it all the way to the final of the playoffs. Unfortunately, we just fell at the final hurdle and lost. But overall, it was a great season—lots of fun, lots of wins. Very good.
When we first talked about your first full season here in the UK, you mentioned it felt quite different from back home. How have you found it in terms of the basketball scene?
I think the league I played in this year is the top amateur league—there’s a professional league above it here in the UK—but this one’s kind of the best amateur level, which is similar to what I was playing back home.
They definitely approach basketball a bit differently here. I think it’s just not as big. You guys are really obsessed with football, so football takes over everything. Basketball’s still kind of finding its feet in this country, whereas back home, it’s quite a big sport already.
Participation isn’t as high here, and it still feels like it’s up and coming—but that’s also a really exciting part of it. You get to be part of something growing and help make a difference.
There are basketball courts in every school, so it is accessible. But it’s just not the sport people go to first. It’s football. Which makes sense—everyone here is football mad! Whereas at home we’ve got Aussie Rules, but not really football. It’s more basketball, netball, that kind of thing. So basketball’s definitely bigger over there.
But like I said, it’s exciting here because it is developing, and the level is getting better and better every year. So yeah—it’s a good time to be involved in basketball in England.
How did the sponsorship with enable.services come about?
We went into a networking event not knowing who we were going to meet. When we met Joe from enable.services, we didn’t know what kind of company he worked for or anything. But sometimes it’s surprising who actually cares.
The great thing about sponsorships is they give you a chance to meet people you never would’ve crossed paths with otherwise.
What’s the landscape like for kids who want to get into basketball?
It can be a little bit tricky here, I suppose, just because basketball isn’t as widespread. But I think most towns now probably do have a basketball club.
There are also programs through Basketball England for quite young kids. And honestly, it’s fun—even if you don’t know what you’re doing, you can grab a ball and have a go. There are plenty of hoops around.
If you can find a local club, that’s a great way in. Ipswich has an under-12s program, and I think this off-season they’ve even got stuff for “Mini Hoopers”—so kids under 10 maybe. There are definitely things out there. It’s just about getting kids involved.
And it’s an indoor sport, so if parents don’t want to be out in the rain watching football, they can sit indoors and watch basketball instead. Makes sense to me! I’m a bit of a princess—I couldn’t do a sport in the rain. I need it inside, no wind, no cold. So yeah, there’s definitely potential.
And for parents wondering how to start?
Getting your kids into a club like Ipswich is honestly the best way. You can just play once a week to start, see if you like it—there’s no pressure or big commitment until you’re older and decide to take it more seriously.
And especially for young girls, women’s sport is growing so fast right now, which is really exciting. There are more opportunities, and it’s great to see that shift happening.
