The chance to help the Canberra Capitals become the first WNBL team to pull off a three-peat in 24 years is fuelling Alex Delaney as she prepares for life in a basketball bubble.
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Adelaide were the last franchise to achieve the feat during a golden era from 1994-96. Delaney couldn't remember it if she tried - she was a one-year-old kid.
Seven teams have won back-to-back titles since then. Six of them have fallen short in search of a third. The Capitals have a chance to break that drought.
Now their pre-season campaign is ramping up as they set their sights on a third consecutive title, which would extend their league record to 10.
The Sydney Flames are likely to set up camp in Canberra next week for scrimmage sessions with the Capitals behind closed doors.
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A stint in Canberra will also allow the Flames to avoid a period of quarantine in Queensland when they arrive in the sunshine state for a WNBL campaign like no other.
Those plans come as WNBL clubs wait on the league to provide a fixture for the revamped season which tips off on November 12 and could see teams play as many as 17 games in 39 days.
"We haven't seen [a fixture] yet. It's going to be interesting to see how it all works," Delaney said.
"All we've been told is we're going to play a certain amount of games in a certain amount of time, so how that all works will be quite interesting. It's exciting and we just have to take the opportunity when we can.
"Our overarching goal is to win a championship. The better we can prepare ourselves for that, the better position we'll be in to start the season.
"Having so many games in such a short period of time, there is no real time to rest on your laurels either. We've got to maintain a positive mindset and come into every game thinking 'we have to win this game'.
"What's really great here at Canberra is we have such a great team culture and everyone enjoys being around each other. That's really going to show with our season in the hub this year."
The Capitals have endured an interrupted pre-season with the likes of Mikaela Ruef flying in and out before she rounds out her Queensland Basketball League campaign.
Britt Smart spent two weeks in hotel quarantine after arriving from Melbourne while Maddison Rocci arrived last week.
The reigning champions are edging closer towards having their full complement on deck as they set their sights on next month's season opener.
Its a great opportunity for players who may not have seen a lot of court time this year. With the shortened season, teams are really going to have to use their bench.
- Canberra forward Alex Delaney
Delaney was one of few Capitals who managed to get a full season in over the WNBL break, starring for Manly Warringah and earning a place in the Waratah League's all star five.
Now she is preparing to shoulder a bigger load for Canberra with a taxing season in the hub set to force clubs to rely on their entire squad in search of a playoff berth.
"We've had a lot of focus on getting ourselves in great shape to be able to play back-to-back games and a lot of games in a really short period of time," Delaney said.
"We're making sure our conditioning is there, especially because a lot of us haven't played for a long time, so we're making sure we're scrimmaging at practice and getting ready to go.
"I'm very lucky I was able to get a few games in, but obviously the level is just so different. Preparing to play against better athletes who are more athletic and stronger is never easy.
"It's a great opportunity for players who may not have seen a lot of court time this year. With the shortened season, teams are really going to have to use their bench."