The Canberra Capitals remain hopeful Marianna Tolo will resist rich overtures from overseas and remain with the club next season.
But they don't expect to begin official negotiations with the Opals centre until after the current campaign.
Tolo is certain to command attractive bids from European clubs, always desperate to recruit high-quality talls, particularly if she plays at the Olympics. The Capitals have no chance of matching those offers but remain optimistic of keeping the star youngster.
''We'll discuss that with Tolo when the season's finished. She and her agent traditionally don't talk contracts during the season,'' Canberra coach Carrie Graf said.
''Players like her have to look at their options and ask when's the best time [to head overseas].''
The 22-year-old has won the club's last two player of the year awards and her numbers (14.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game) compare favourably to last season, when she earned WNBL All-Star honours.
But she hasn't had the same impact in 2011-12, especially in recent weeks due to a lingering foot injury.
''I think Tolo's struggled this year, she hasn't performed as well as she has in other seasons and there's a whole lot of reasons for that,'' Graf said.
''As you develop the opposition puts more focus on you, you get the better defenders and are double-teamed, and once you make the Opals the expectation's greater.
''Having said that, you still know what you're going to get with Tolo with her effort and work rate.''
Canberra heads into tonight's home clash against Logan desperate to snap a three-game losing streak. The team is smarting after a massive 29-point loss to Sydney on Australia Day, its biggest defeat in years.
The fourth-placed Thunder effectively ended the Capitals' play-off hopes with a 72-59 win in Canberra two weeks ago, and will be full of confidence.
Canberra skipper Jess Bibby said the focus will be on quelling Logan's running game, after its guards Sarah Graham, Renae Camino and Kristen Veal ran riot in the sides' last meeting.
''We did a terrible job with our defensive transition the last time we played them,'' Bibby said.
''Last time we had a heavy training load, the girls were carrying niggles and that's not an excuse, but our preparation this week has been a lot better.''
While wins remain top of the agenda, Graf said she will use the Capitals' last three games to experiment for next season.
Back-up point guard Alice Coddington has barely played all season but received seven minutes of court time against the Flames last week.
''We still want to find ways to win, but still look at different rotations, different people and different match-ups,'' Graf said.
''Alice did a more than solid job [against Sydney], but she's a developing player that's a work in progress.
''You don't go from a [US] college team and just come in and play big minutes, that's for the exceptional players and point guard is a learning position.''
This reporter is on Twitter: @tuxy81
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