Every week, ESPN's Megan Hustwaite brings together news stories that have caught her eye across the WNBL.
WHY NOT US?
In one of the stories of the WNBL season, the UC Capitals are deep in the finals race and believe they can earn fourth spot.
The nine-time WNBL championship club won just six games across the past two seasons and is currently equal with Sydney and Geelong on 6-11.
Their most crucial stretch in years lays ahead with games against the Flames (twice) and Geelong in their next three fixtures which will determine the final spot in the top four.
The Flames lead the series 1-0 while Canberra already has the split over United.
Canberra will then face ladder-leader Bendigo in the final round of the regular season on February 15.
Coach Paul Goriss, back at the helm after taking 2022-23 off and assisting last season, says his young Caps are daring to dream.
"Why not us? We've been the underdogs, and no one thought we'd be in this position with such a young and inexperienced team," Goriss told ESPN.
"Between us, Sydney and Geelong it's in our own hands. For us, it's definitely got to be one game at a time and not focus on the end goal of trying to get fourth spot. It's focusing on one game at a time and what we need to do knowing the series against Sydney is still alive because we've only played them once.
"With our 40th anniversary this year, how cool would it be for us to make the play offs to celebrate the 40th year of the Caps?"
Captain Jade Melbourne recorded yet another triple double (15 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds) in Saturday's win over Southside while Goriss confirmed Chantal Hrovat (thumb and ankle) will miss the rest of the season and is set for surgery.
SWAIN DOES IT ALL
Sydney star Shaneice Swain has the complete game and can do it all according to one of the WNBL's greatest ever scorers.
Swain, 22, sunk 40 points against the Fire last round and her performance in Townsville caught the eye of Australian basketball legend, dual Olympian and two-time WNBL MVP Julie Nykiel.
One of Australia's finest shooters, Nykiel is etched in league history with two of the top five performances for most points in a single WNBL game.
Her 53 points for Noarlunga against Sutherland in 1982 was a league record for more than two decades until Belind Snell bettered it by one point in 2005. Nykiel's 47-point haul in 1986 has her in fifth place.
"Shaneice can do it all. She has an almost perfect shooting action which accounts for all her shots swishing in. Her ball skills are brilliant and she can play both inside and out, she can make the drive to the basket. By my observations she has the complete game," Nykiel told WNBL Weekly.
"She has great rhythm and obviously could feel that she could do anything in that game. That's how I felt when I was able to score all my points. But I always said you can only do so because of your teammates around you, and they work brilliantly with her. Shaneice has had a great season but when you score those big points, you can feel it when you start the game as I did on my two occasions."
BRIGHT LIGHT
In a season that's netted just four wins highlights have been few and far between for the Southside Flyers.
But at the AIS Arena on Saturday afternoon a glimpse of the future gave the Flyers and basketball fans in general something to smile about.
Teenager Manuela Puoch made the most of her first-career start with 17 points, nine rebounds, two steals and a block. It was made all the more special as her big sister Nyadiew suited up for Canberra.
The Flyers will be without Manuela for this weekend's games against Townsville and Bendigo as she represents Victoria in the Foot Locker U20 national championships in Ballarat.
HONOUR FOR CLO
It was a mini reunion of sorts in Townsville on Saturday night as the Fire celebrated 10 years since their first WNBL title.
With Geelong United in town, 2014-15 championship coach now Geelong mentor Chris Lucas was in attendance as were players Suzy Batkovic, Mia Murray, Rachael McCully, Kate Gaze, Jacqui Zelenka and Rosie Fadljevic and assistant coach Claudia 'Clo' Brassard.
The night was made even more special as Brassard was honoured with Life Membership for her outstanding contributions to the club as a player, assistant coach, director, administrator and championship-winning head coach (2017-2018).
Three Pointers with Bendigo Spirit's Micah Simpson
1: It's my second year on the Bendigo roster and honestly, I'm just trying to soak up everything I can especially from Veronica Burton and Kelly Wilson in terms of how they see the game.
2: Between Bendigo in WNBL and Ballarat in NBL1, Kennedy Kereama is my coach 12 months of the year. He is genuinely invested in my development as a player and challenges me at different times.
3: Outside of basketball, I'm going into my final year of my undergrad for psychological science and the goal is to eventually be a sport psychologist.