Canberra Capitals skipper Jess Bibby hopes she has rediscovered her attacking flair after scoring 72 points in three games as the team prepares for the start of the WNBL season.
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Bibby and the Capitals returned to Canberra last night after a three-game pre-season trip to Melbourne to play the Dandenong Rangers, the Bulleen Boomers and an emergin China squad.
Despite returning with just one victory, the form of veteran Bibby will please coach Carrie Graf.
Bibby failed to capture her scoring best in the 2011-12 WNBL campaign, which saw the Capitals miss the finals for the first time in seven years.
But the guard showed no signs of last season's struggles, leading Canberra's scorers in all three games.
The 33-year-old was on fire against China yesterday, scoring 21 points in the first half before fatigue hit and she finished with a haul of 25 in a three-point loss.
Bibby had a chance to tie the scores in the dying seconds, but her three-point attempt allowed China to hold on for a 77-74 win.
''I'm never shy in taking a shot,'' Bibby said.
''I was a bit fatigued at the end … but I've been working pretty hard in the off-season shooting-wise and it's nice to get a bit of reward to start with. Last season I was pretty disappointed with the way I shot the ball and my job is to come in and be a spark. I think I was able to do that this weekend and we're going to have more offensive weapons this year. Hopefully I can continue to knock down shots.''
The Capitals beat Dandenong 76-68 on Friday night, but stumbled against the Boomers 70-60 on Saturday.
The weekend was an opportunity for Graf to test some of her fringe players and give them more time on the court.
Star Michelle Cosier and Australian under-19s representative Casey Samuels still need to come back into the side, while Lauren Jackson's return to Australia depends on when the Seattle Storm finishes its WNBA title bid.
The third-placed Storm will finish the regular season against Phoenix today and then begin its western conference playoffs against Minnesota on Saturday.
The Capitals play another pre-season game against China at Belconnen on Wednesday and begin their season on the road against Sydney on October 6.
