Olympian Rachel Jarry has vowed to break the physical and mental shackles which have stalled her basketball comeback, declaring she wants to help the Canberra Capitals rebuild beyond this season.
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Capitals players will be fighting for their individual futures in the last month of the WNBL season as they battle to end a 12-game losing streak.
Jarry is regarded as one of the toughest players in the competition but admits she's been well below her best this year after overcoming a knee injury and then missing a month after being concussed.
She was left out of the Australian Opals initial Commonwealth Games squad last week but is desperate to play as much as possible in the coming months to prove her worth.
Jarry's Canberra contract expires after their last game against the Perth Lynx on December 29. However, she is keen to re-sign to help give the Capitals stability after a horror campaign.
"I'm just getting through this season but I'd love to stay in Canberra, I've grown to love the city and the club," Jarry said.
"If we could keep the majority of this group together, I really think we could do anything next season with a good core of younger and older players.
"That's a challenge for the club. We still think we can beat any team in this league. I just feel like I'm playing passive and not getting involved enough ... it just has to come naturally."
Jarry will play her 150th WNBL game when the Capitals clash against the Sydney Flames at the National Convention Centre on Thursday night.
The 25-year-old is already a WNBL and WNBA champion but has been hindered by injuries in recent years.
She will have extensive neuropyschological testing at the end of the season to help her monitor concussion symptoms and give her a baseline for her health.
For now, medical staff have cleared her to return to playing and are confident she is not putting herself at risk on the court.
Jarry is one of several Capitals who face an uncertain future as coach Paul Goriss turns one eye to next year given the team will not play in the finals.
"Every game you coach or play, you're playing for your future. These last two or three weeks won't make my decision of who stays or goes in our playing roster, it's the whole package," Goriss said.
"We've got to find some grit and some grunt about us going forward, our mantra is good people."
WNBL ROUND 10
Thursday: Canberra Capitals v Sydney Flames at National Convention Centre, 7.30pm. Tickets available at the door.
