The ACT Meteors will make their debut in a national final, inflicting the first defeat on the dominant NSW Breakers in more than two years.

The final against Queensland will be played before the Big Bash League decider in Perth and will receive national free-to-air television coverage in a major boost for women's sport.

Dick's 6-14, off 2.5 overs, flipped Wednesday's semi-final at Blacktown on its head, the best bowling figures in an Australian women's T20 match. But Dick was almost forced to miss Friday's final.

Dick, studying a Masters in physiotherapy, had already taken time off from a work placement with the University of Sydney to contest the semi-final and had feared she may need to skip the final to complete her degree.

Instead, she was granted permission to sit her assessments on Thursday and take a late night flight to Perth, where she will link with her Meteors teammates.

''I'm hoping to get it off but we'll have to wait and see because with my degree there's a certain amount of hours you have to do consecutively. With how women's cricket is [unpaid], uni has to come first,'' Dick had said on Wednesday.

Not even the Meteors gave themselves much chance against the Breakers, who have a host of national stars, including Australia's player of the recent Ashes tournament, Ellyse Perry.

But inspired by a motivational speech from former marathon champion Rob de Castella, the Meteors adopted the motto ''play with freedom''.

Led by New Zealand all-rounder Nicola Browne (45), the Meteors made 8-146 off their 20 overs. The Breakers looked comfortable at 3-105 at the start of the 16th over, before the Meteors gambled on Dick as a substitute bowler.

The left-arm spinner dismissed Australian representatives Rachael Haynes and Alyssa Healy (51) within three balls in her first over.

Despite figures of 3-9 from her first two overs, Dick was reluctant when captain Kris Britt called on her again for the final over, NSW with three wickets in hand and requiring 18 runs.

Dick took another three wickets, the final two with consecutive stumpings.

''I did ask not to bowl the last over, I said, 'Surely the experience of Nic [Brown] would have been a better option','' Dick said.

''But Kris stuck by me. The last over I was extremely nervous, I was just thinking, 'Get it on the pitch!'. We had nothing to lose, everyone was expecting us to get smashed.''

The Meteors stayed in Sydney on Wednesday night, waiting to see the BBL results before knowing if the final would be played in Sydney or Perth.

The Meteors are yet to taste the success of Canberra's other female sporting franchises, the Capitals basketball team or United soccer club. But coach Andrew Dawson said the Meteors were now in it to win it.

''Those teams have got a few more titles than us, especially the Capitals, but now at least we've given ourselves a crack,'' Dawson said.

''We knew with a lot of NSW girls coming off playing in the Ashes series, there could be some tired legs and tired minds. We probably felt we could ambush them.''