'There's so much history there': Canberra Capitals coach Kristen Veal embraces WNBL's Tuggeranong return

A schedule clash will force the Capitals to relocate two games from Civic to Tuggeranong as the club pushes for AIS Arena upgrades and a University of Canberra venue to call its own.

The Capitals will start their campaign with a clash against the Adelaide Lightning at the National Convention Centre on November 5, and then finish the season at the same venue against the Melbourne Boomers on February 24, with all games to be broadcast via either ESPN or 9Now.

Twice in between they will return to their spiritual home at Tuggeranong. The Capitals head to the deep south for the first time in more than six years when they host Melbourne at Tuggeranong on December 15, before Bendigo come to town on February 15.

Capitals coach Kristen Veal admits a return to Tuggeranong could be a divisive issue for fans, but she is relishing the chance to come back to a venue she called home as a player during a golden era.

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The Capitals had spent $30,000 upgrading the ageing Tuggeranong venue, which still bore the logos of a company sold off more than 10 years ago on its floor, to ensure the venue was ready for a national broadcast.

"I love it. I'm not sure if it has caused mixed responses in the community, but I love the idea," Veal said.

"There's so much history there and so many great players and so many great memories. I remember that was a freshly-built stadium at the start of this Caps dynasty, which has been going for 20 years or so.

"The courts were resurfaced last year, so they look amazing. They got all those old decals off, it's got new backboards, it's got a fresh coat of paint. It's a great little stadium.

"We can really tap into the old Canberra supporters that were there at the start of that. It's going to be a nice trip down memory lane for them. I know last year, the first time I walked back into the court and into the change room, it was special. I'm excited we're going to be able to do that."

The nine-time WNBL champions had been hoping to return to the AIS Arena this summer but Australian Sports Commission boss Kieren Perkins says upgrades at the Bruce venue are moving at an "epically glacial pace".

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr wants the AIS Arena to be a long-term home for the Capitals, but the club also has ambitions to build its own venue at the University of Canberra's Bruce campus.

"The AIS Arena is great for finals basketball. But the AIS doesn't solve all our problems, because we can't train on that court. It's not going to feel like ours, it's just going to feel like a good place to play finals," Veal said.

"We need our own venue, or a shared facility venue, with other elite sports here in Canberra. We're one of the few states that don't have a facility like that. It's time to move forward and get suitable facilities in Canberra."

The WNBL semi-finals begin on February 28 before the grand final series, slated for March 10-16.

The Capitals would need a big turnaround to reach the playoffs after finishing the 2022-23 season in last place with just two wins - the equal-lowest return in club history.

But Veal is excited about the challenge ahead, locking in her roster with Abby Solway, Chloe Tugliach and Shakera Reilly poised to take development spots.

If fans are looking for a reason to dream, twice in history have the Capitals gone on to win a championship after missing the finals in the previous season.

"I like that we've got four games in the first two weeks. Last year we had four games over four weeks," Veal said.

"We've got two home games to start with and two away games. It'll be good to get out of the gates and play some games to get a sense of where we're at."

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