The UC Capitals will be chasing their fourth win of the season this Sunday when they return to home court to face the reigning champion Townsville Fire.
Canberra head into the clash on the back of an impressive win over the Bendigo Spirit, with five players finishing in double figures to help lift the Caps to second on the WNBL ladder.
Nyadiew Puoch continued her career-best form, delivering a standout performance in her milestone 100th WNBL game with 26 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
Nicole Munger provided a spark off the bench with 15 points and three rebounds, while Megan McConnell came close to a triple-double for the second consecutive game, finishing with 16 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds.
McConnell has quickly found her feet in her first season with the Caps and says the belief within the group has played a major role in her continued development.
“The confidence and belief that the team all have in me, and that they had in me from the start, has just helped me grow and grow and keep getting better.
“We’ve just been really harping on our execution on offence and then getting our defensive stops out in transition. For a full 40 minutes our offence looked good and we didn’t have too many lapses,” McConnell said.
Standing in the Caps’ way this Sunday are the reigning WNBL champions, who could receive a significant boost with WNBA Champion Miela Sowah expected to make her season debut following her return from duties with the Golden State Valkyries.
Sowah will be eager to make an immediate impact for the Fire, with the guard set to return to competitive action for the first time in almost two months after limited game time in the US as a Development Player.
Townsville currently sit fourth on the WNBL ladder with a 4-2 record, having played two more games than the Caps. Their two losses coming from the hands of the Perth Lynx and Sydney Flames.
While the Fire may not have started the season as dominantly as they finished the last, Caps Head Coach Paul Goriss knows his side will need to deliver a full 40-minute performance to challenge the defending champions.
“They’re bringing back their starting group from a reigning championship team, they’ve got depth across the board, but I think it’s a good challenge for us. We’re excited to test ourselves early against them and see what we can do.
“We’ve got belief and trust within ourselves that we’ve put in the work to earn our ladder position. I think it’s probably a surprise to other people but also we don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves. It’s only round five that we’re going into, but we can get confidence from how we’re playing, but obviously it’s going to be a big task on the weekend against Townsville,” Goriss said.
Two players the Caps will need to keep a close eye on are Courtney Woods and Abbey Ellis, with both currently ranked inside the league’s top five for points per game.
Woods has emerged as an early contender for WNBL MVP, averaging 20 points, eight assists and seven rebounds while making an impact across every area of the court.
Ellis has also proven a dangerous scoring threat, producing some explosive performances, including a record-breaking 47-point outing against the Adelaide Lightning to set a new single-game scoring record for the Fire.
Sunday’s clash will also see the Caps shine a light on the incredible people who make up the Canberra community as they host their Community Heroes Round.
The club is encouraging fans to get behind its Official Charity Partner, Toora Women, and help reach a $5,000 fundraising goal to support the important work they do for women and children experiencing hardship across Canberra.
Fans will also have the opportunity to bid for the Ultimate Game Day Experience through the Caps Charity Auction. The winning bidder will enjoy VIP seats, a pre-game meet and greet, an exclusive tour of the Caps locker room and a signed jersey.
Representatives from the police force, ambulance services, nursing, teaching and the SES will also be in attendance as the Capitals recognise and thank the everyday heroes who go above and beyond for their community.
The UC Capitals take on the Townsville Fire at AIS Arena on Sunday 15 November, with tip-off at 3:00pm.
Get your tickets here.
