EVEN without injured local hero Lauren Jackson, Saturday’s WNBL match between the University of Canberra Capitals and Adelaide Lightning will be a sizzling showdown.
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There’s plenty on the line at the Lauren Jackson Sports Centre, with the Lightning desperate for elusive wins and Canberra desperate to stay in touch of the top four.
But Capitals coach Carrie Graf said there was no doubt Jackson had been missed after undergoing knee and hip surgery.
“It’s a no brainer,” she said.
“She’s a four-time Olympian and a superstar — we didn’t imagine she would be out this long but it was the right thing for her to do and now the hip’s fine and the knee’s not far off.
“It’s a bump, but mostly for the athletes — they have to deal with being injured and the others have to adapt without them but we’re confident she’ll be back before Christmas.
“The biggest disappointment is she doesn’t get to play at the Lauren Jackson stadium, that was the plan and she was looking forward to it.”
Jackson will be there, signing autographs at half-time and afterwards.
Graf said the WNBL was as even as it had been but the Capitals were hoping to make the most of home advantage.
“Any team can beat any team in the competition,” she said.
“So we need the crowd on our back to help get the win.”
The Capitals will look to bounce back after losing last Saturday to bottom team Dandenong, but the Lightning suffered consecutive losses on Friday and Saturday.
“Both teams will be desperate to win,” Graf said.
“Adelaide have Laura Hodges who’s a three-time Olympian, they’ve got a new coach and they’re playing good basketball, so it’s going to be a physical encounter and a great contest.”
The Lightning will also have former Capitals players Alex Bunton and Carley Mijovic, who will be keen to prove a point against their old team.
In the absence of Jackson, the Capitals have called on captain Abby Bishop in the role of go-to shooter.
“She’s an Olympian, a four or five-time championship player, she’s a young star conditioned to the pressure,” Graf said.
“Having Jackson alongside her would make it a lot easier but she’s been a star performer to date and we need her to step up again.”
The Capitals’ Jess Bibby is a former Lady Bandit favourite and Hanna Zavecz a former Wangaratta junior.
“It’s important to take games regionally and we think we can maintain a link with Albury,” Graf said.
“It’s a great sporting town and it would just be great to see the stadium filled on the Capitals’ back.”
Saturday’s match tips off at 7pm, with tickets on sale at $15 for adults, $10 concession and $5 for children.
