Alex Bunton and Canberra Capitals vowing to make up for lost time in WNBL season

The Capitals claimed their fourth consecutive win with a dominant 94-69 triumph over an understrength Southside Flyers outfit at the National Convention Centre on Saturday night.

Alex Bunton had a game-high 21 points and 13 rebounds as she continues her stellar return to the league, with Canberra now facing a 10-day break before a return bout against Southside.

Canberra will have everyone on deck during the FIBA international window, and Bunton is refusing to rest on her laurels despite the Capitals' devastating run of form.

"Just because we have a couple of days off, it doesn't mean we have a full-on break. It's just a moment to refresh," Bunton said.

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"We had a chat at the end of the game and we want to remind ourselves it's not over. We still have the rest of the season to go. We're still going to work just as hard."

The Capitals have risen to second on the table with the playoff picture to be determined by winning percentage amid concern teams could finish the season having played a different number of games.

The season has been slashed from 21 games to 18, with the WNBL set to cancel any fixtures impacted by COVID-19 as opposed to rescheduling matches.

"We know how important every game is with the new draw, the season being shorter and the games we've lost," Capitals coach Paul Goriss said.

"We've got a focus of trying to keep the teams that are below us down there but also try to play our best basketball and try to climb the ladder and try to get into the first or second spot.

"While these wins are important, having that block of building some momentum and getting these four in a row is certainly a focus for us. Now we go away and build on that when we get back.

"I still think there is a lot of improvement still left in this team, and so we'll go away over the FIBA break and the girls will have a bit of a break.

"I still think we can be better over four quarters but the ball movement, I think we're getting contributions everywhere on both ends of the floor."

A reduced season means the decision not to overturn the result of Canberra's round one win over Sydney, a clash marred by an integrity breach involving Goriss and WNBL referee Simon Cosier, could prove crucial when the final four is decided.

Sydney owner and chairman Paul Smith is still fuming about the incident in which the Capitals were supplied seven clips of a Flames pre-season scrimmage by Cosier, calling on Basketball Australia to overhaul its tribunal process.

"The coach and referee were found guilty, and these are the facts," Smith said.

"The impact on the result was clear for anyone to see and the basketball community has rallied around us in support of that. We accept the tribunal's decision, as we should, but we disagree vehemently with the finding.

"We thank Basketball Australia for appealing the original findings and we respectfully call on Basketball Australia to overhaul the tribunal process it currently operates under."

The Capitals have buried the incident, determined to move on as Bunton rediscovers her touch in a mesmerising return to the WNBL.

"Look, this confidence comes from my teammates and obviously Goz. Everyone believes in me and everyone wants me to have a good crack at it whenever I'm on," Bunton said.

"I'm getting confidence from everyone on my team. They push me every week, they keep encouraging me. I'm really thankful for them. I'm grateful to be back."

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