'I can't wait to make it home': New recruit Alex Sharp captains Canberra Capitals

"But I can't wait to make it home," Sharp said.

The 26-year-old will join Jade Melbourne as Canberra's co-captains for the WNBL season with the Opals duo challenged with leading the Capitals out of the wilderness and back into final contention.

Sharp has only ever been to the National Convention Centre - the site of Sunday's season opener against the Adelaide Lightning - as an opposition player with the Perth Lynx.

Now she is set to be adopted as a fan favourite after being handed the reins.

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"It wasn't something I was really thinking about or expecting coming in, but it has been an awesome challenge for me and something I'm still learning about and challenging myself every day," Sharp said.

"It's been really cool to step into that role for these girls and offer my experience and my leadership where that goes.

"Working with Jade is awesome. She has a great basketball IQ, she's an awesome person as well so the girls naturally look to her. Being able to bounce and work off each other is awesome.

"I'm excited, nervous, but honestly I just can't wait to get out there with the girls in front of the fans. It's something I've been looking forward to for a long time with this new team. I can't wait."

Veal employed three captains last season in Melbourne, Alex Bunton and Britt Smart. The latter stepped away from basketball with a baby on the way, while Bunton missed a chunk of last season through injury and will be managed throughout the campaign.

It left Veal searching for a replacement to work alongside Melbourne who - despite WNBL stardom, a WNBA season under her belt and Opals jerseys bearing her name - is still only 21.

Sharp quickly emerged as the logical option for a new-look Capitals outfit - even if she is one of those new faces still settling into Canberra.

"This is the thing, right, she's a natural leader," Veal said.

"Very smart, very intuitive, really connected to her teammates, to her own performance. All the markings of a great leader were already there.

"We just needed the responsibility, and in all honesty, a bit of a push to get in and back herself and understand you don't need two years here to earn the respect to become a leader, you can do that in six weeks, which she has."

Canberra fans know what Melbourne brings. When it comes to her co-captain, Veal says they can expect a gritty leader who still plays with a sense of enjoyment.

"When you talk about the new era Caps, how we want to be seen and how we want to act, and how we want to perform in the environment, those two replicated the new era Caps through and through," Veal said.

"We've got a number of really good leaders in this team, but it had to be people that reflected that had the ability to and the desire to step up and lead, and it wasn't going to impact their performance.

"We went through a little bit of discovery with that throughout the pre-season and we landed on Jade and Sharpy.

"I love the fact they're young leaders and they've got so much desire to grow in that space, and they are so relatable and so connected to their current group."

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