The Canberra Capitals were flooded with ticket inquiries minutes after making their first grand final in a decade and officials have urged fans to jump on the bandwagon to fill the AIS Arena next weekend.
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Canberra will be hosting the opening game of a best-of-three series against Adelaide, marking the biggest game in the capital since the 2008-09 decider and a chance for the Capitals to add an eighth title to their cabinet.
The Capitals secured their place in the championship series when they beat Perth on Thursday night, coach Paul Goriss declaring his side can get even better to end a nine-year title drought.
The team's stunning play has helped rebuild a WNBL audience in Canberra with crowds almost doubling in the past 12 months.
Now the Capitals are hoping that momentum translates into the biggest crowd for any team this season when tickets for game one go on sale on Monday morning.
"People must have been up at all hours sending inquiries [after beating Perth] ... People appreciate the significance of this event," said Capitals general manager Lucille Bailie.
"History tells us we sell these out. For me, it's personal. I stood on court after the bushfires smashed Canberra in 2003 and we won the championship ... I beat my chest, it was for Canberra.
"This is about positioning this sport to capitalise ... we've shown everyone time and time again what a world-class product this is.
"We can position this sport where it deserves to be, not to allow it to slip into the back of the mind. This isn't about winning a championship and fading away, we want to retain what we've done this year."
The Capitals will release 4251 tickets on Monday, with members and corporates getting the first chance to buy before going on sale to the general public. If demand is high enough, the Capitals can release an extra 240 standing-room tickets.
More than 4500 packed into the AIS Arena when the Capitals last hosted the grand final 10 years ago, watching the side beat the Melbourne Boomers in a 61-58 heart-stopper.
The Capitals lost just three games that season, but success since has been few and far between during a lean period.
The Capitals are playing in the finals for the first time since 2011 after Goriss recruited a star-studded roster, which is firing and has the best attacking record in the competition.
"But the job's only half done," Goriss said. "We envisaged when we put this team together that we wanted to make a run for a championship and that's come to fruition.
"We're back where the club belongs in that top echelon ... now it's about trying to create this championship and more. This group is special, they've got great character and chemistry.
"They're well aware of the history of the Caps, and they want to make their mark as well. It pays homage to the history but is also driven by what they want to do for each other.
"These special times make special teams achieve special teams, hopefully we can do that.
"Getting to a grand final is a huge achievement, you don't take that for granted. This is my first finals [as a coach] ... one goal was to make the finals but the overarching goal is to win a WNBL championship.
"I won't be satisfied until that's done. None of us are thinking we've done our job yet."
The Capitals will face a tough opponent in Adelaide, who have rallied to make the decider despite concerns the franchise could go bust at the end of the season.
Adelaide won two of three games against Canberra during the regular season, but the Capitals boast a home-court advantage for the three-game grand final series.
WNBL GRAND FINAL SERIES
February 9: Canberra Capitals v Adelaide Lightning at AIS Arena, 5.30pm.
February 13: Adelaide Lightning v Canberra Capitals at Adelaide, 7.30pm.
February 16 (if required): Canberra Capitals v Adelaide Lightning at AIS Arena, 5.30pm.
