Canberra Capitals rookie Gemma Potter picks up ankle injury ahead of WNBL semi-final

But Capitals coach Paul Goriss says it is a precautionary measure ahead of game two of the WNBL semi-finals against the Melbourne Boomers at the State Basketball Centre on Sunday.

The 17-year-old rolled her ankle at practice on Thursday but hopes she will be fit to play as the Capitals look to sweep the series and secure a grand final berth.

Potter played more than 11 minutes as part of a seven-player rotation in the first semi-final, putting in an impressive shift in defence on Boomers star Lindsay Allen.

The college-bound guard will fly to Melbourne with the Capitals with in the hope she is fit to play, with Goriss confident he has the cattle to get the job done should Potter pull up sore.

Potter's absence would force Goriss to turn to his other bench players with young guns Abby Cubillo and Lily Scanlon firming as chances to get a taste of the action in game two.

"She did a great job on Lindsay Allen and everyone saw that, because she's got length and athleticism and can play up and in," Goriss said.

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"If she doesn't get to play, we've got other people who can step into that. Abby is a great defender up the floor, a different type of defender to Gemma, as well as Lily.

"They're both like little mosquitoes who are going to run and pressure the shit out of you.

"They provide something different to Gemma, they haven't got the length but they've got the tenacity and the quickness to stay with the likes of Lindsay Allen.

"The biggest thing is match-ups for us in this finals series. Who can get in and guard Lindsay Allen when she's got the ball in her hands? Who can take Garrick when she wants to shoot the three?

"For certain teams, our bench players match up against them really well. For some games they don't.

"It's just a case of how the game is flowing, discipline is a concern. You don't discount anyone coming in and being able to do a job.

"They've all played their part this season, it's just about that opportunity and how the game is flowing."

Goriss expects Melbourne will shift plenty of attention to the league's most valuable player in Kia Nurse after she turned game one on its head.

Nurse drilled three shots from beyond the arc in a third quarter stretch which gave the Capitals a lead they would not surrender.

While stopping the Suzy Batkovic Medal winner is easier said than done, the Canberra mentor is confident someone else can shoulder the load if Nurse is kept quiet.

"They always do their best to face guard her, deny her, take the ball out of her hands or deny her before she even catches it," Goriss said.

"If I'm them, I'm probably going 'well if Kia didn't go off in those three or four possessions, it was a tied ball game'. They're going to feel confident about themselves knowing it was a close ball game.

"They will have to find ways of getting the ball out of her hands and limiting her impact, but knowing that, both teams have got scorers across the board.

"Anyone else can step up in Kia's absence."

A Melbourne win would force the series to a deciding game at the AIS Arena on Wednesday.

WNBL SEMI-FINALS

Semi-final series two (all times in AEDT)

Game one: Canberra Capitals 84 bt Melbourne Boomers 70 at AIS Arena.

Sunday, February 23: Game two - Melbourne Boomers v Canberra Capitals at State Basketball Centre, 6pm.

Wednesday, February 26: Game three (if necessary) - Canberra Capitals v Melbourne Boomers at AIS Arena. Time TBC.