The Canberra Capitals are targeting a full-time move to the AIS Arena next season with a vision to lure more fans to games and provide the club with long-term security.
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A permanent move to Bruce could make Saturday's clash with the Melbourne Boomers a National Convention Centre farewell.
The Capitals have called the Civic venue home for most regular season games since 2017, but they have been forced to move two fixtures to Tuggeranong this season due to scheduling conflicts.
Capitals general manager Lucille Bailie hopes a permanent move to the AIS Arena - which has been closed since Canberra's 2019-20 championship win - will provide officials and fans with certainty about the team's future.
The Capitals are hoping to end this season with a sell-out crowd in the city before moving to the Bruce venue, which can cater for crowds up to 5000.
"We are engaging in really positive discussions with the Australian Sports Commission to return to the AIS for a full season," Bailie said.
"The league is actually developing the 2024-25 schedule. Their focus right now is on finals and finishing off the current season, but the 2024-25 schedule is already under development.
"We've had great discussions about the AIS and we're continuing those with the view to play all our games at the AIS. That's the vision.
"We're going through the process which involves venue availability. We've got one eye on 2024-25, and to say we're excited because of things coming down the line is an understatement."
Canberra has been without its largest indoor sporting, concert, exhibition and events space after the Australian Sports Commission shut the arena in 2020 because of safety concerns.
Remedial works worth $15 million have drawn out but the Capitals are confident they will be able to shift training and games to Bruce.
CAPITALS STAR IN THE MIX FOR WNBL MVP
Jade Melbourne is in the hunt to claim the WNBL's highest individual accolade and on the cusp of an Olympic Games appearance - all at the age of 21.
The Canberra Capitals star is among five nominees for the WNBL's most valuable player award alongside Adelaide's Isobel Borlase, Melbourne's Jordin Canada, Sydney's Lauren Nicholson and Townsville's Sami Whitcomb.
Melbourne could become Canberra's first Suzy Batkovic Medal winner since Canadian import Kia Nurse claimed the title in 2019-20 - 12 months after Kelsey Griffin had won it.
Nurse and Griffin claimed MVP honours in championship-winning teams - but Melbourne could do it in a team bound for a second consecutive wooden spoon.
Melbourne has been an "enormous" shining light for the Capitals in a career-best year which has the 21-year-old guard in the frame for an Opals call-up at the Paris Olympics.
"That's probably the key part to the story, she's only 21. What she has managed to accomplish in a short period of time in two rough seasons is enormous and really unexpected," Capitals coach Kristen Veal said.
"We've got some talented juniors out there, but generally speaking, the population of juniors take a really long time to get to the level Jade is at.
"For someone like Jade, obviously you've got to have the talent and the potential, but the key part is how she applies herself.
"It says a huge amount about her as a person and as a player, especially at this age.
"To be honest, it's no surprise. I've said it to her this year at times, 'with your season, you're potentially in contention for MVP'.
"She just washes it down, saying 'it's not what I'm about, it's not what I signed up for, it's just a nice side piece to be honest'."
Caden Helmers
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
