Canberra Capitals coach Paul Goriss realises a WNBA Dream in Atlanta

The two-time WNBL championship-winning coach is bound for the Atlanta Dream as an assistant coach, as he prepares to leave the Capitals to take up a two-year deal in the United States.

Goriss will join new head coach Tanisha Wright's staff, alongside Christie Sides and Barbara Turner as Atlanta's assistants.

"They've got a new GM who has come from Las Vegas, a new coach who was a great WNBA player and has been an assistant with Las Vegas. This is her first time as a head coach," Goriss said.

"They've had some issues on and off the court with the kind of players they've recruited or had, so they're trying to change the culture of it and everything is new, as far as the GM and the coach.

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"It's a great opportunity for me to start at the ground level with a new coach and a new GM, so we can learn together and find our way together as a coaching staff. That's the most exciting thing.

"I don't like the word 'rebuild', but I came in here with the Caps and for me it was like a refresh. It's a similar situation to what Atlanta want to do.

"Tanisha wanted someone with head coaching experience to be able to help her on the bench with game decisions and things like that. It was a good fit for me to go in to mentor in a way."

Goriss' decision to move to the United States closes the chapter on a remarkable legacy in Canberra.

He orchestrated a remarkable revival for the club, winning back-to-back championships in 2018-19 and 2019-20 - and internationals took note. Goriss attracted interest from China before ultimately committing to Atlanta.

"I wanted someone on our staff who could bring fresh ideas and a newness to our approach with this team, and Paul will fill that role perfectly," Wright said.

"Paul has a ton of experience as a head coach and built a WNBL championship team from scratch. He has a great basketball mind and will serve as a sounding board for me as I continue to grow as a coach."

Goriss' six-season stint as Capitals head coach has ended in gut-wrenching fashion after the club was "backed into a corner" by the WNBL and left with little choice but to withdraw from the finals following a COVID-19 outbreak.

Eight Canberra players have contracted the virus and some were still to be in isolation beyond April 4. The WNBL controversially ruled game two of Canberra's semi-final series against the Perth Lynx would be rescheduled for April 6 in Perth.

Capitals officials were left fuming by the decision to move the game across the country, citing player welfare concerns as their reason for pulling out of the title race.

It is far from the championship-winning exit Goriss had hoped for.

"To be honest I haven't really thought of it that way, because the number one priority for me is the wellbeing of the girls and making sure they're okay in isolation. We've got some really sick girls that have got it," Goriss said.

"It's just disappointing. It's never been about me, I'm disappointed that the hard work, the effort and the sacrifice they've made, not only this year but in seasons before, that they don't get an opportunity to go out fighting on our own terms.

"There's bigger factors more concerning than whether that was my last game or not."