Steindl excited to help Jewels shine quickly in WNBL

‍Having seen firsthand the immediate Tasmania JackJumpers impact, Kayla Steindl can't wait to be part of the emergence of the Jewels in the WNBL.

Kayla Steindl might not be following her husband Clint's footsteps as the inaugural Tasmania Jewels captain like he was with the JackJumpers, but she is in a unique position to understand the significance of the state's WNBL return.

Steindl first came out to Australia still with her maiden name of Standish to begin her own standout basketball journey down under after her college career at Gonzaga University.

It started in the WNBL at the Townsville Fire before stints also with the Adelaide Lightning and Perth Lynx while at state league level she was a dominant force starting in the QBL with the Mackay Meteors winning multiple championships.

Then when life took her and her husband west with her playing WNBL at the Lynx and Clint NBL at the Wildcats, she also was Grand Final MVP in a championship triumph for the Joondalup Wolves before the JackJumpers joined the NBL.

Not only did Clint go on to finish his career there as the inaugural captain and championship skipper up until his retirement at the end of NBL25, but Tasmania is now home for the couple and their two children, Noah and Addi.

Steindl has continued to play in the NBL1 South competition more than holding her own still as a mother of two at the Hobart Chargers, but a WNBL return isn’t on the cards even with the introduction of the Tasmania Jewels for the 2026/27 season.

Instead, she has been appointed Assistant General Manager of the new team and she knows how exciting it is for all of Tasmania to now see the Jewels follow on from what the JackJumpers have done.

"Being apart to the start of the JackJumpers was something truly special for myself and my family so it’s incredibly exciting to see the WNBL team officially launched," Steindl said.

"This marks a significant step forward for women’s basketball and for our sporting community as a whole.

"The level of enthusiasm surrounding the announcement shows just how much demand and support there is for elite women’s sport, and it’s inspiring to witness the momentum building already."

Following the announcement that Tasmania would be getting a WNBL team again for the first time since the Islanders disbanded back in 1996, the reality is now becoming closer with the launch of the name, logo and identity.

The Jewels will be the name of the new WNBL team and while there are still enough differences to make it distinctive from the JackJumpers, it also only made sense to keep some of the similar characteristics.

"Given the incredible success of the JackJumpers, it makes perfect sense to carry through some of that identity into the new WNBL team," Steindl said.

"The colours, the logo style, and the overall feel have become recognisable symbols of Tasmanian basketball, and they’ve helped build a strong, unified sporting culture across the state.

"Maintaining that connection not only strengthens the brand but also creates an immediate sense of familiarity and pride for fans. It shows that both teams are part of the same vision, the same community, and the same commitment to excellence."

When the Steindl family initially made the move from Perth to Hobart for the inaugural season of the JackJumpers, neither of them could have foreseen that it would be the place that they would want to continue to call home beyond their basketball playing days.

However, with Kayla hailing from Ellensburg, a small town in Washington state, and then Clint growing up in Far North Queensland, there was an immediate feeling of comfort for both once they got to Hobart.

"Tasmania has a special quality that makes it an incredible place to build a life and raise a family," Steindl said.

"For us ,it’s the sense of community, the connection to nature, and the balance the lifestyle offers. People genuinely look out for one another here, and there’s genuine down-to-earth feel that we really value.

"It’s also a place where we feel our family can grow up with space and safety with that small town feel that both Clint and I grew up with. Once we experienced that, it just felt natural to stay and make Tasmania our home."

Considering Steindl is only 36 and is still playing at a high level with the Chargers in the NBL1 North, it's no surprise that the one question she gets asked the most since the announcement of a WNBL team is if she'll be playing.

It's not something that is on the radar, though, and she's happy to throw herself into the Assistant GM role and to help have as much of an impact off the court as she can on how the Jewels perform on it.

"I have been asked this question a few times, and I’m very flattered — but no, you will not be seeing me in a Jewels uniform," Steindl said.

"My WNBL playing days are long gone. We want this team to be hugely successful, and that means leaving the on-court heroics to athletes who don’t need three days to recover after a training session.

"My involvement with the team will include the players well-being and making sure they are well looked after from a club standpoint, we will be such a well-resourced team that it will be an exciting place for players to join."

Now that the Steindl family proudly call Tasmania home and they do have a young daughter themselves, Kayla is in a good position to put into perspective just how much it means to now have a WNBL team having seen the impact the JackJumpers have had.

"I think it’s going to mean absolutely everything," Steindl said.

"For young girls in Tasmania to be able to look up and see a WNBL team in their own backyard — players they can watch, meet, and aspire to become — it changes what feels possible.

"Suddenly the dream isn’t somewhere far away on the mainland; it’s here, in their home state. That kind of visibility and opportunity is powerful.

"It inspires belief, it builds pathways, and it shows every girl picking up a basketball that she belongs in this sport just as much as anyone else."

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