The north Queensland hub, games every two days and an entire competition effectively run and won in the space of a month - touch wood - all consigned to the memory bank.

Sunday marks a return to normality for the Canberra Capitals as they launch their WNBL title tilt against the Sydney Flames behind enemy lines.

A return to a home and away season, albeit one still impacted by the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, feels as though it has been a lifetime in the making - and Capitals veteran Britt Smart is relishing the comeback.

"It's a marathon, not a sprint like last year," Smart said.

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"It's not that we don't have a sense or urgency and intention with each training and each game, because that's part of the whole bigger picture, but understanding we're going to have ups and downs.

"It's a longer season, we need to prepare for those moments, but it's about how we bounce back, how we recover, how we continue from each moment."

Canberra's season opener against the Flames presents something of an unknown for Smart and her teammates.

"We don't know exactly what the Flames will bring because they've got a new squad as well so we've been guessing with some of the players we know," Smart said.

"The vibe is really good, we have a really close-knit team so far. We're definitely ready."

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