Bullets anoint new coach, trumpet WNBA star investor

Will Weaver will return to Australian basketball as Brisbane's latest coach, the former Sydney mentor tasked with lifting the battling Bullets off the NBL pine.

The former Boomers assistant was confirmed as the club's new head coach and president of basketball operations on Wednesday.

Weaver replaces Darryl McDonald, who held an injury-ravaged squad together as interim head coach for the Bullets' last 15 games of the season after Stu Lash's short-lived tenure ended in December.

It comes as the club revealed high-profile WNBA star Angel Reese's investment in the Bullets' bid to become the 10th WNBL outfit next year.

Copping endless injuries to key players, the Bullets limped to a 6-27 record and finished last to continue their poor record since the former NBL powerhouse returned to the league a decade ago.

Weaver led the Kings to the 2019-20 minor premiership before the NBL called off the finals series with Perth leading 2-1 and Sydney unwilling to travel west, citing COVID-19 safety concerns.

He then was pipped for the Oklahoma City Thunder top job by Mark Daigneault, instead working as a Houston assistant, before a stint as Paris Basketball head coach between further appointments with a number of NBA teams.

The Bullets have made just one post-season appearance since their return to the league, and have not finished higher than seventh in the past four years.

They were regular finalists in the late 1990s, but the last of their three championships came in 2007, when the Bullets won 21 straight games to claim the title.

"I love Australia, and the opportunity to return and build something special in Brisbane is incredibly exciting for my family and me," Weaver said.

"The Bullets have a strong foundation: passionate supporters, committed ownership, and a great city to call home.

"My focus now is building a basketball program that reflects that support and can compete at the highest level. The goal is to build a program that makes the city proud."

The Bullets copped criticism for appointing Lash, who had no professional head-coaching experience.

"Will has all the attributes of a great coach and his resume attests to that," club boss Malcolm Watts said.

The WNBL plans to expand from eight to 10 teams next season, with Tasmania already locked in as the long-standing league's newest franchise.

"Angel is a fantastic ambassador for basketball and a globally recognised superstar," Watts said of the two-time WNBA All-Star's investment.

"Basketball is Queensland's fastest-growing sport, and having Angel involved as we pursue a WNBL team is a huge asset."