WNBA stars Brittney Griner, Chelsea Gray to headline basketball camp in Singapore

SINGAPORE – Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Brittney Griner – a 10-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year – Chelsea Gray and Ariel Atkins will be bringing some stardust to Singapore from Nov 18 to 21 at the inaugural Women’s Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Next Up camp.

The WNBA, the National Basketball Association (NBA), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and Sport Singapore (SportSG) made the joint announcement on Oct 26. The four-day camp will take place at The Kallang’s OCBC Arena.

BWB Asia was held here in 2010 and 2025, with Boston Celtics’ 2024 NBA champion Derrick White and 2024 NBA All-Star Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers in town for the 2025 edition.

The Women’s BWB Next Up 2026 will bring together 80 of the top female, high-school-age prospects from around the world. They will participate in athletic testing, movement efficiency, skill development stations, 3-on-3 competitions, life-skills seminars, and 5-on-5 games under the guidance of current and former WNBA and FIBA players and coaches.

Headlining the group is Connecticut Sun centre Griner, who is a three-time Olympic gold medallist and a 2014 WNBA champion. The others include: 2019 WNBA champion and FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 champion Ariel Atkins of the Los Angeles Sparks, two-time WNBA champion Jordin Canada (Atlanta Dream), Portland Fire forward and Canada women’s national team player Bridget Carleton, and four-time WNBA champion and two-time FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup champion Chelsea Gray (Las Vegas Aces).

In 2022, Griner dominated headlines when she was detained in a Moscow airport in Russia – where she was playing professionally – with vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage.

The 36-year-old American, who had a medical marijuana prescription in the United States, spent nearly 10 months in detention.

She was released in December 2022 in a high-profile prisoner exchange involving arms dealer Viktor Bout and returned to the WNBA in the 2023 season.

Beyond the camp, participants and coaches will also take part in community outreach activities, including a basketball clinic for 50 girls organised in collaboration with SportSG, as well as clinics for coaches and referees.

“The inaugural Women’s BWB Next Up camp in Singapore builds on the NBA’s longstanding collaboration with SportSG to grow basketball and expand access to the game across the region,” said NBA head of Southeast Asia and Asia Marketing Sheila Rasu.

“This camp will bring together a distinguished group of elite female prospects from around the world to learn from WNBA players, legends and coaches, and reflects our shared commitment to creating more opportunities for women’s basketball in Singapore and beyond.”

The NBA and FIBA have staged 87 BWB camps in 56 cities across 36 countries on six continents.

SportSG deputy chief of industry development Dean Tan said: “As one of the most popular team sports among youth in Singapore, basketball offers a valuable platform for youth engagement and development.

“This event reflects our commitment to nurturing young sporting talent, providing them with opportunities to learn from world-class coaches, connect with peers from around the world, and gain valuable experiences.”

Deepanraj Ganesan is a sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on football, athletics, combat sports and policy-related news.