Carly Wilson wants to end her 19-year career with fairytale WNBL championship, adamant the Canberra Capitals can be a title dark horse if they can secure a finals berth.
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But the retiring smiling assassin revealed she was ready to quit basketball two years ago when the fun of playing the game disappeared during Canberra's darkest period.
Wilson announced on Friday the final seven games of Canberra's season will be her last almost 20 years after she broke on to the WNBL stage as a teenager in Melbourne.
The inspirational leader managed to keep her trademark smile when the Capitals were being thumped by every team in the competition over the past two years.
She considered walking away and thought her career was over, but the 34-year-old said she wanted to be a part of Canberra's revival.
"It's been a rough couple of years at the Caps and I really wanted to hang around to help the club get back on track to get some success back," Wilson said.
"The last couple of years I was really close [to retiring] and two years ago it felt like maybe it was time to stop playing because basketball wasn't as enjoyable as it had been for me.
"It's such a big part of your life ... but I felt like I had some unfinished business. It's not all about the wins, but it was about helping the club get that winning culture back.
"So last year I couldn't [retire] because I felt like I had more business to take care of.
"The time has come. I've been around for a very, very, very long time and I think it's the right time to hang up the pink socks."
Wilson is a WNBL life member and three-time title winner - two with Dandenong and one with the Capitals - as well as an Australian Opals Commonwealth Games gold medal winner.
She has played 356 games in the league and will be sixth on the list of most WNBL games played when the season ends.
But she desperately wants to lift the Capitals back into the finals for the first time since losing the grand final in the 2010-11 season.
Canberra is sixth on the ladder but can still earn a top four berth if they make a run in the final rounds of the regular season.
"There's the motivation for the playing group to make the top four anyway," said Canberra coach Paul Goriss.
"But we want to send [Wilson] out in the right way and respectfully. We want her last game to be in a championship final because that's befitting of the champion she is."
Goriss and Wilson first teamed up in 1999 when a 15-year-old Wilson won an AIS scholarship.
Since then Wilson has spent time in Europe and the Opals, establishing herself as a hard-nosed defender and one of the most reliable leaders in the WNBL.
Her departure adds another chapter to a changing of the guard at the Capitals following the retirement of WNBL games record holder Jess Bibby, superstar Lauren Jackson and coach Carrie Graf.
But Wilson believes the new era is set up to chase success this year and beyond. Wilson is also toying with the idea of stepping into coaching in the coming years.
"I've been around a long time so I've experienced a lot of different teams, but this one is really special," Wilson said.
"Working with Gorrie feels like a really way to round things out. Sometimes it feels like it's been longer than 20 years.
"But I love the WNBL so much and it's been a part of my life since I was 15.
"The last time the Caps won a championship we came from third and no one thought we would win. This has a similar feel to it ... I think if we get into finals, team won't want to play us."
WNBL ROUND 15
Saturday: Canberra Capitals v Bendigo Spirit at Tuggeranong Stadium, 7pm. Tickets available at the door.
