Keely Froling and Kelsey Griffin ruled out of Capitals-Southside clash

The Capitals were dealt a double blow when they landed in Melbourne on Saturday when scans revealed major damage to Keely Froling's face and Kelsey Griffin was ruled out of her comeback.

Coach Paul Goriss had hoped both would be available for a clash against the top-of-the-table Southside Flyers in Dandenong on Sunday to spark a charge towards the play-offs.

Froling was Canberra's saviour on Friday night, hitting the game-winning shot against the Boomers in overtime despite copping a knock to her face at the end of regulation time.

Froling flew to Melbourne with the rest of the team, taking ice on to the plane to treat the swelling before having a scan.

She has a broken nose and fractured cheek, which could rule her out for up to six weeks. The Capitals will wait until they return to Canberra before putting a timeframe on her recovery.

Griffin also went to Melbourne hoping to play her first game in more than a month. But while she has recovered from an ankle problem, Goriss has opted for caution after a hamstring scare at training.

It's far from ideal before a tense contest against the Flyers and with a top-two spot on the line in the closing rounds of the regular season.

"For me, Kelsey needs a whole week of practice before she plays," Goriss said.

"We're not sure how long for Keely, it's a shame but we'll see when we get back to Canberra.

"If we needed to win the next four games just to make finals, you'd think about [Kelsey]. But we don't want to put any in jeopardy so we can make sure they're back for the finals.

"Five or 10 years ago I would have stressed about it, but injuries are a part of sport and the girls' health and welfare has always been No. 1 for me. It's going to be tough, girls will get an opportunity and we'll just roll on."

Froling had her eyes firmly on a top-two spot, which is why she didn't hesitate to board a plane to Melbourne despite the worried looks from team medical staff.

She copped an elbow to the face in the closing stages of the game against the Boomers, but was strapped up to continue playing and hit two crucial shots to help the Capitals to a huge victory.

Froling, the daughter of basketball parents and in a family with NBL-playing brothers, is used to tough battles in the court.

"Dad never had any sympathy for any injuries [at home], unless you were dead you kept playing," Froling laughed.

"The doctor didn't really want me to fly, but I didn't really give her a choice. I took some ice on the plane and was fine.

"It hurts a little less when you get a win. We've got finals coming up, we know if we keep winning we can get second spot.

"That's massive and a goal of ours, so we want to keep rolling and keep that momentum so it's going to be easy to get back up."

Froling's late winner snapped the Capitals' disappointing last-season slump, which included losses to Bendigo and Townsville.

The Capitals had won just one of their past four games before toppling the Boomers and appeared to be running out of steam before the play-offs.

The win against the second-ranked Boomers gives Canberra a chance to sneak into second place, which would give them rights to host a semi-final series.

The Capitals have been undermanned for most of the season, playing without Mikaela Ruef and Kristy Wallace as they attempt to defend their title.

WNBL ROUND 14

Sunday: Southside Flyers v Canberra Capitals at Dandenong, 5pm. TV time: Live on Fox Sports.