The Canberra Capitals are set to sign rising WNBL star Lauren Scherf to bolster their roster for a bid to break into the finals for the first time since 2011.
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It's understood the Capitals have all but finalised a deal to recruit Scherf and the 21-year-old is regarded as a future Australian Opal.
Scherf will become just the third player on the Capitals' roster for the 2017-18 season as coach Paul Goriss works to build a squad capable of competing for a championship.
Scherf was the WNBL rookie of the year in 2015 after starting her career with the Dandenong Rangers.
But the 196 centimetre forward is keen to test herself in a new environment and will have a massive challenge filling the hole left by Olympian Marianna Tolo.
Goriss is locked in negotiations with several players and Scherf could be unveiled as early as next week. It is hoped Abbey Wehrung and Lauren Mansfield will also return to the Capitals next season.
Canberra secured a recruiting boost last week when the club signed two-time Olympian Rachel Jarry as a leader for their new-look roster.
Meanwhile, the Melbourne Boomers announced they had snared marquee centre Elizabeth Cambage for the 2017-18 season.
Cambage could have easily walked away from basketball after missing out on an Olympic medal in Rio last year and playing for big money in China sapped her love of the sport.
The 25-year-old considered retirement with no one one in the sport sure if she would return.
But Cambage ended her hiatus on Thursday announcing she would play for the Boomers.
"I think my love for the sport definitely disappeared a couple of years ago and I needed that year off to find my love again and work with girls who have that group mentality and share the same goals," Cambage said
"It can get really individual the higher up you go and I struggled with that, I struggled with the push to make money.
"It's something you hear when you are young "make money while you can, make money while you can".
"I could still be in China making millions but that wasn't for me and I wasn't really enjoying it."
During her time away Cambage was promoting brands and her fashion and sporting interests while also kick-starting a career as a DJ opening for Mary J Blige and working at selected festivals.
She goes on tour on Friday for the Groovin the Moo festival.
The Boomers made their overture to Cambage via a trusted friend sending Lauren Jackson to gauge her interest at "coming home".
Cambage made her name at the Boomers leading them to their only WNBL championship in 2010-2011 and winning the league MVP award.
She hasn't played in the WNBL since the grand final of the next season in 2011-2012 when her Boomers fell to Dandenong Rangers.
The timing for the WNBL couldn't be better as they will debut on Fox Sports this season, their return to national television.
Cambage said she had plans to play at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018 and the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
"I do miss the team and that stuff but I haven't missed being away from my family, I haven't missed being overseas playing," Cambage said.
"I probably will spend the summer here then another summer overseas and then another summer here before the Olympics but let's just focus on this season for now.
"Tokyo is my main goal, my top priority."
