Australian Opals basketballer Shyla Heal has been signed by the Townsville Fire in the WNBL.

Heal was released by her former team, the Sydney Flames, on Wednesday morning and within hours had signed with the Fire.

She made her debut on Wednesday night against the Lynx in Perth, scoring seven points and accumulating two assists and three rebounds.

Lynx coach Ryan Petrik criticised the decision to allow Heal to switch teams mid-season and while he conceded the move was above board, he claimed it would not pass "the pub test" with the league's fans. 

"I'm not sure if the average fan at home loves what's happened," Petrik said.

"The amount of people who have messaged us with like 'sorry, a team that can't make the finals has just moved in-season to a team that can make the finals?' If it's legal, it's legal but I don't think the average fan thinks it passes the pub test.

"The amount of people that have commented on what they think it looks like I think tells you the answer.

"Townsville are clearly playing by the rules but fans are asking questions."

Heal had not played in the Flames' last two games for personal reasons, according to the club.

In a statement, the Townsville Fire said the 21-year-old guard would play for the side for the remainder of the 2022-23 season.

"She is a familiar face to the team and fans due to her being a key part of our run during the 2020 hub season where we played in the grand final," Townsville's coach, Shannon Seebohm said.

"Shyla will add to our guard depth and provide a scoring punch for us as we aim to qualify for the finals."