Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional Femenil
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Current season, competition or edition: 2026 LNBPF season | |
 | |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2022 |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Country | Mexico |
| Headquarters | Mexico City |
| Most recent champions | Panteras de Aguascalientes (1st title) |
| Most titles | Astros de Jalisco (1 title) Fuerza Regia de Monterrey (1 title) Adelitas de Chihuahua (1 title) Panteras de Aguascalientes (1 title) |
| Broadcasters | AYM Sports Basket América TV Canal 26 Canal 66 Capital 21 Heraldo Televisión Hi Sports ITV Deportes Latin American Sports TV México Al Aire Libre TV Multimedios[1] TV4 TVC Deportes[2] |
The Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional Femenil (LNBPF), known for sponsorship reasons as Liga Caliente.mx LNBP Femenil, is a women's professional basketball league in Mexico. Founded in 2022, the league comprises eight teams divided into two regions (North and South) and is the women's counterpart to the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP).
The LNBPF is one of three major professional women's basketball leagues in Mexico, alongside the Liga Mexicana de Baloncesto Profesional Femenil (LMBPF) and the Liga ABC MEX.[3]
Initial attempt
The Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional Femenil (LNBPF) was initially established in 2014 by the executives of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP). The league started with ten teams, seven of which would eventually depart.[4]
The LNBPF was born as a result of the Mexico men's national basketball team's gold medal at the 2013 Pre-Olympic Tournament and the hosting of the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara. Elsa Flores Sánchez, then-vice president of the Liga Nacional de Desarrollo de Basquetbol Femenil (LIBAFEM), was appointed by the president of the Mexican Olympic Committee (COM) to lead the creation of this professional women's basketball space alongside Juan Manuel González.
In early 2017, following the arrival of Sergio Ganem as president of the National League, a dispute arose among the league's team owners. Ganem envisioned that each men's team would have its own female affiliate, sharing infrastructure and sponsorships without consulting the team owners already in place. This led to the league's division.[5]
After the conflict, the Liga Mexicana de Baloncesto Profesional Femenil (LMBPF) emerged, incorporating former LNBPF teams such as Mieleras de Guanajuato, Lobas de Aguascalientes, Mexcaltecas de Nayarit, Tapatías de Jalisco, Rieleras de Aguascalientes, Gamos de la Universidad Marista, Quetzales Sajoma, Nueceras del Estado de México, Leonas Cenhies, and Bengalíes. Eventually, the LNBPF folded, and the LMBPF grew stronger with the support of its fans and team owners.[6]
Rebirth
In 2019, Sergio Ganem, President of the LNBP, announced the inclusion of the women's division, which was planned to start in 2020, though this was postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a virtual press conference, Ganem Velázquez officially introduced the first edition of the LNBP Women's Tournament, with eight teams taking part. He announced that the inaugural season would begin on April 23, 2022.[7]
The league started with eight teams, which were divided into two geographical zones. In the Northern Zone, the following teams participated: Abejas de León, Astros de Jalisco, Panteras de Aguascalientes, and Libertadoras de Querétaro. In the Southern Zone, the teams were: Fuerza Regia de Monterrey, Plateras de Fresnillo, Halcones de Xalapa, and Adelitas de Chihuahua.[8]
