Canberra Capitals poised for WNBL grand final against Southside Flyers

But the Canberra Capitals were limping after successive defeats to the WNBL's bottom two teams. Kelsey Griffin was riding the pine. Kia Nurse's radar was broken.

Maybe this year wasn't meant to be. Maybe the weight of doing it all over again was just too much for a side which no longer boasted the depth that carried the club to a title a season prior.

Rest assured the thought never even crossed Capitals coach Paul Goriss' mind. He knew they could do it the hard way.

Because today the Capitals find themselves two games away from consecutive championships, setting their sights on a grand final battle with the Southside Flyers.

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The series opens at Dandenong Stadium on Sunday, where Canberra have won twice this season. But how did they get here, when at one stage the prospect of putting a line through the Capitals almost seemed fair?

For starters they have the league's past two most valuable player award winners in Griffin and Nurse. The former rediscovered her fitness, the latter started hitting shots again.

These are two stars in a side blessed with big game players. Add Marianna Tolo into the mix and there is a big three few in this league could dream of matching.

They have at times had to put this team on their backs. That was abundantly clear back in October as Canberra looked to replace Leilani Mitchell and Kelly Wilson.

Enter a 25-year-old Parisian with speed to burn. French point guard Olivia Epoupa is hardly one to be daunted by the task of shutting down Mitchell in a decider.

"She's played in front of bigger crowds in bigger stadiums in bigger games. She just goes about her business," Goriss said.

Consider the rise of 21-year-old Maddison Rocci and the Capitals have found two superb guards to replace two of the league's finest.

Behind her sits a raft of young guns embracing the chance to win a championship - some, like Abby Cubillo, for the second time.

Then there is Alex Delaney, chasing a ring to go alongside her mother's. Lily Scanlon, craving a title before her phone's countdown to her flight overseas hits zero.

Shakera Reilly, who sits down in the humble surrounds of the university gym after practice to run over plays with her coach.

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"We've got a different group, we're younger. With youth comes excitement, and the young ones are definitely excited and champing at the bit to get into a grand final," Goriss said.

"It's a different kind of energy around the group. Last year it was more focused because we had those older heads and they kept a settled group around us.

"This time the younger ones are really excited to get going."

What about Goriss himself? The man who couldn't get to sleep until 3am after the Capitals secured a grand final berth so he reviewed the semi-final.

"It's a hard one. Last year I was surrounded by veterans who did an excellent job in making sure the group was focused," Goriss said.

"For me this time around, I treat every game the same. It's not a grand final game to me, it's just another regular season game.

"Last year because it was my first ever, I had more nerves and excitement about it. This time I'm more focused on what the process is that we've got to get done to beat Southside.

"I'm more prepared this time, being in a three-game series in last year's grand final and this year's semi-final. It's better we've actually had to play more games."

But this time around Goriss would relish the chance to just play two. The equation is simple: win in Dandenong, and earn the chance to secure the trophy at home on Wednesday night.

Two home semi-finals brought crowds of 2492 and 2201 streaming into the arena.

Now club bosses want to go one step further and emulate the 4817-strong crowd they had last summer.

They're getting a little help from the ACT government this time around with the city's monuments lit up in blue. That too was something the Capitals didn't have last year.

Boomers coach Guy Molloy said the outcome of the semi-final just "wasn't meant to be".

Perhaps it was just that.

WNBL GRAND FINAL FIXTURE

Sunday March 1: Game one - Southside Flyers v Canberra Capitals at Dandenong Stadium, 5pm.

Wednesday, March 4: Game two - Canberra Capitals v Southside Flyers at AIS Arena, 7.30pm.

Sunday, March 8: Game three - Southside Flyers v Canberra Capitals at Dandenong Stadium, 1pm.