Relocated Hiroshima Eagrets aim for W.LEAGUE Premier promotion after move from Himeji

Team captain Mina Uenaga, 30, addressed fans on September 13 after a preseason game held in Nishi Ward, Hiroshima. It was the team's first game since relocating its base from Himeji to Hiroshima, and Uenaga expressed gratitude for the support.

The team competed as the Himeji Eagrets until last season. With Hiroshima as its new home base this season, the team began a fresh start with the goal of being promoted from the W.LEAGUE Future division, the second tier, to the Premier division, the top tier. The team began training in Hiroshima in May.

The Eagrets were founded in 2013 and, after competing in corporate leagues and other competitions, joined the W.LEAGUE in 2022. As the club's operating company struggled financially, the Hiroshima Dragonflies of the B.LEAGUE acquired all of its shares in February this year and took over operations.

While the team was based in Himeji, its main practice venue was the gymnasium of a closed junior high school. It had no heating or cooling, and players reportedly had to contend with summer heat and winter cold. The relocation marked a turning point for rebuilding the team in a new place, away from those conditions.

The W.LEAGUE is Japan's top women's basketball league, and its clubs are mainly based on corporate teams. The Future division is its second tier, and promotion would send a club up to the Premier division. Promotion means advancing to a higher category than the one a team currently belongs to.

The players who will open a new season in a new home are trying to turn the support of a new community created by the move into strength. This is the first season under the new operating structure, and the team's on-court results and the club's stability are both being tested.

How close the team can come to promotion to the Premier division this season will be the key point to watch. It is worth following the progress of the reborn Eagrets, both in building a base in Hiroshima and on the court.

This article was written by the Basketball Press editors based on the cited reports. Please check the source for full details and exact figures.