The Canberra Capitals are keen to shift the ACT's attention from cricket to basketball this week as they prepare to host their first WNBL grand final in 10 years.
The Capitals will host game one of the three-game final series against Adelaide Lightning at the AIS Arena on Saturday night.
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But they'll be going head to head with cricket fans with the Big Bash League in town on the same night.
The Sydney Thunder host the Hobart Hurricanes at Manuka Oval just five days after Canberra's first ever Test match finished at the same venue.
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It's the second time the Thunder will have played at Manuka this summer and Capitals coach Paul Goriss believes the magnitude of their game will draw a big crowd.
"We’re in a grand final, that’s all that matters, and hopefully we’ll get a big crowd," Goriss said.
"Hopefully it’s a sellout, and we make as much noise as we can and get all of Canberra to the AIS Arena to make as much noise and make things as uncomfortable as possible for Adelaide."
Canberra skipper Kelsey Griffin echoed her coach.
"Ours is a final. I think Canberrans are smart enough to know which game to come to," Griffin said.
Adelaide was one of just two teams who had the split over the Capitals during the regular season and was the last team to beat Canberra before they went on their current 11-game winning streak.
Goriss said what happened in the home-and-away season was irrelevant and that his side were deserving favourites heading into game one.
"Both games we played in Adelaide were on the back of a double road trip. We haven’t played them in Adelaide with a full team, and the time we played them in Canberra we beat them," Goriss said.
"They’ve beaten us twice in Adelaide but I think that’s irrelevant right now, the series is 0-0, and past performances don't mean too much.
"They also haven't played us with [Marianna] Tolo being fully fit and Leilani [Mitchell] being fully fit, so I think it's a different match-up for us now with them.
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"We embrace [being favourites], and we want that, that’s a good way to be, knowing we’re playing great basketball and that our chemistry is great.
"The girls are playing well together, and we’ve got everything to play for and knowing that we’re favourites, it’s good that people are chasing us and we’re leaders."
Two-time WNBL champion and grand final most valuable player Griffin said it's time to finish the job and promised high-quality basketball, no matter who wins.
"It doesn't really matter what you've done to this point, it’s a new season when you get to finals time, and Adelaide have hit some great form," Griffin said.
"We’re actually similar teams; we run a lot of the same sets, have the same philosophy and go to whoever is hot and don't really care who scores.
"So it's going to come down to defence and who’s willing to do the tough one percenters, it should be some good basketball, and that's the exciting thing because the finals have been really good basketball and fun to watch so far."
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.
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