Lauren Scherf says an off-season car accident has sharpened her focus to prove a point in the WNBL and she started the year with a bang in the opening round against Sydney.
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Scherf was outstanding in Canberra's perfect start to the season and the side is set to be bolstered by the return of Australian Opals point guard Leilani Mitchell for one of two games this week.
The Capitals have recruited heavily to chase a drought-breaking finals spot, but many had written them off in the early rounds when Mitchell (foot), Marianna Tolo (knee) and Kristy Wallace (knee) were injured.
Scherf had other ideas and dominated against Sydney, scoring 22 points in one of the best performances of her six-year career.
The 22-year-old has been earmarked as a future Opal since making her debut as a teenager in 2013 for Dandenong and was the WNBL rookie of the year for the 2014-15 season.
But Scherf says she finally feels settled off the court and a car accident, where she swerved to miss a kangaroo and hit a tree three months ago, has ignited her basketball determination.
"Over the last 12 months I've been working really hard in the off-season, I wanted to prove a lot more to myself and others on this team," Scherf said.
"Being at home [in the WNBL off-season] really helped trying to get my mindset and my body right, that was really good for me to come back in and dominate here.
"It's about eating right, getting into the gym as well. Having that setback of the car accident really opened my eyes to what I wanted to do [in basketball]."
Scherf is part of a group of young Capitals who are working with a nutritionist to learn what to cook at home to fuel their bodies for WNBL success.
The Capitals have added a nutritionist and sports psychologist to their staff this year in a bid to earn a spot in the finals for the first time in almost a decade.
The looming return of WNBL all star Mitchell is another perfect early-season boost, but the Capitals are wary for rushing her back on to the court as she continues to battle a plantar fasciitis problem.
The Capitals will play against the Melbourne Boomers on Friday night before returning to Canberra for their first home game of the season against Adelaide on Sunday.
"On medical advice, we'll probably make a decision on Leilani on Wednesday. More than likely she will play one out of the two games this weekend," Goriss said.
"We're only one game in, we can't get too carried away with ourselves. It was a great start for us, and that's where we wanted to be knowing we've got other people coming back in [after injuries].
"It's the belief this group can still play great basketball while others are coming back in, but there's a long way to go."
Kia Nurse scored 26 points in her WNBL debut after having just one training session with her new team.
"It's a fast-paced league. It's great to play in a league that likes to get up and down, that works to my advantage and that's fun to play," Nurse said.
WNBL ROUND TWO
Friday: Melbourne Boomers v Canberra Capitals at Geelong, 7pm.
Sunday: Canberra Capitals v Adelaide Lightning at National Convention Centre, 2pm.
