One of British women’s basketball’s most successful clubs will not compete next season because of rising costs.
Sevenoaks Suns head coach Len Busch has ploughed £100,000 of his own money into the three-time WBBL champions, but says it is “untenable” for him to continue.
Men’s BBL teams fund many of the Suns’ rivals, while hopes of finding an arena to boost their revenue have failed.
“I don’t see any way in the short term for it to become a viable business,” Busch told BBC Radio Kent.
Since 2017, the Suns have topped the WBBL three times, won the play-offs a further three times and also lifted the WBBL Trophy in 2017 and the WBBL Cup in 2020.
The Suns lost in this season’s play-off semi-final earlier this month, losing 74-49 to eventual champions London Lions to finish without a trophy for a second straight season.
“This year was particularly complicated,” Busch said. “It cost a lot more money. The league’s becoming a bit more professional.
“I just woke up one day and said ‘this is crazy, I’ve spent well over £100,000 on this’. It’s just untenable.
“We were unable to develop any meaningful ticket revenue. We have no sponsorship really and it was all on the back of my wife and I funding it. We just can’t do it any more.
“It was a wonderful run, very enjoyable and lots of good memories, but financially it’s a no-go.”
Playing their home WBBL games at the Surrey Sports Park in Guildford, Busch said the big cash injections for the likes of the Lions and Caledonia Gladiators make it impossible for smaller clubs to keep up.
“The reason for stopping is from a business perspective,” he added.
“I don’t see any way [we will not be] needing a big injection of cash. There’s just no money in the game – not for us anyway.
“[Other teams] are pumping in money like crazy. We can’t compete with that. Everybody wants to raise the standards of the whole league but that doesn’t come for free.
“If over the next year we were to find another way to finance it, we would come back.”
‘No drive’ to get behind WBBL teams
Despite talks over a potential home of their own – after plans for an arena in Swanley fell through – Busch says it is “too expensive” to continue in the top flight.
“There’s always talk of other arenas but I can’t do another year,” he said.
“Aside from supporting women’s sport, there isn’t any drive to be involved and get behind the WBBL teams.”
Busch said Suns players had been emotional after hearing the surprise news.
“We shared a lot of memories,” he said.
“It was always joyful. We had great people, great experiences and we were fun to watch. It’s sad it can’t go on.”
