Why WNBL means so much to Canberra Capitals coach Paul Goriss' family

The mother of Canberra Capitals coach Paul Goriss, Lyn lost her unit, her car, and almost everything she owned in the Townsville floods this past February.

But if only for a few hours, the pain was washed away by pure elation. Moments like this are the Capitals mentor's why.

Old family photos have been washed away but watching her son lead the Capitals to a WNBL championship provides a lasting memory - and some fresh pictures of a touching embrace to boot.

Soon after came time to face reality.

"The morning I woke up and I was coming home, I opened my eyes and I was crying, saying 'Paul I don't want to go home'. He would say 'mum, you'll be alright'," Lyn said.

"Down there in Canberra, even though I was in a mess, I had basketball and Paul. We were both trying to be considerate of each other, I knew what he was going through, he knew what I was going through.

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"Totally different scenarios, but for me, that kept me going. I had a few meltdowns along the way, to be expected, but the icing on the cake was for the Capitals to win the championship. That was just amazing."

Moments like this are ones Capitals coach Goriss is desperate to recreate.

Fittingly, the next step of Canberra's title defence comes against the Townsville Fire at the National Convention Centre on Sunday - with his brother Brent on the opposition's staff.

Lyn spent the best part of a month in Canberra as floods ravaged Townsville this year, stressed about what was happening back home and relying on Brent to keep her updated.

On the Monday after game one of the championship-deciding series he went to check on her ground-floor unit with flood waters rising. What he found was "an absolute mess".

Old photos, furniture and clothes could not be salvaged. Lyn's car was written off because of water damage.

"It was pretty horrible," Brent said.

"The unit stunk, I think I probably threw out at least 75 per cent of her possessions. Her couch, fridge, washing machine, coffee table, that stuff was absolutely wrecked. It was a terrible process.

"The carpet was wet, there was mud through it, sewerage pipes were backed up."

The family know how lucky they were in the grand scheme of the floods which claimed two lives. Lyn was able to find a unit within days with a balcony view she climbed three flights of stairs for. She got a new car the day she moved in, and furniture was donated by a family friend soon after.

Even so, Canberra's triumph in the grand final was the silver lining the family needed.

Goriss will never forget the moment he glanced into the stands to see his mother, brother, niece, sister and her partner.

The post-game hug from his mother was perhaps the only thing sweeter.

"Having her here was probably a blessing, knowing she would have been by herself in her unit in the flood waters and only having my brother up there who may not have gotten to her," Goriss said.

"Knowing what she had gone through in those couple of weeks with flood waters and not knowing what was going on, the stress of having to move out and find a new place and having the car written off, it was a special moment that put all of the bad stuff aside.

"Winning the championship was even more special because my family were here for it. It was just a nice way to cap off a couple of stressful weeks for mum."

Now they find themselves just one step beyond the start line with a handful of fresh faces and some key stars desperate to defend their championship.

WNBL ROUND TWO

Sunday: Canberra Capitals v Townsville Fire at National Convention Centre, 2pm. Tickets from Ticketek.