# 2019–20 Canberra Capitals season

The 2019–20 Canberra Capitals season was the 36th season for the franchise in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). The Capitals were the defending champions and they successfully defended their title, taking home their ninth championship with a 2–0 win over the Southside Flyers.
University of Canberra remain as the owners and naming rights partner of the Capitals.

## Standings

| # | WNBL Championship ladder | WNBL Championship ladder | WNBL Championship ladder | WNBL Championship ladder | WNBL Championship ladder |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GP |
| 1 | Southside Flyers | 17 | 4 | 80.9 | 21 |
| 2 | Canberra Capitals | 15 | 6 | 71.4 | 21 |
| 3 | Melbourne Boomers | 15 | 6 | 71.4 | 21 |
| 4 | Adelaide Lightning | 12 | 9 | 57.1 | 21 |
| 5 | Perth Lynx | 8 | 13 | 38.0 | 21 |
| 6 | Sydney Uni Flames | 7 | 14 | 33.3 | 21 |
| 7 | Bendigo Spirit | 5 | 16 | 23.8 | 21 |
| 8 | Townsville Fire | 5 | 16 | 23.8 | 21 |

## Results
### Pre-season

| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location | Record |
| 1 | September 14 | Aisin AW Wings | 97–56 | Froling (35) | Froling (17) | – | Belconnen Basketball Stadium | 1–0 |
| 2 | September 16 | China | 97–62 | Froling (39) | Froling (12) | Cubillo (6) | Tuggeranong Basketball Stadium | 2–0 |

### Regular season

| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location | Record |
| 1 | October 13 | Adelaide | 90–83 | Nurse (28) | Griffin (20) | Époupa (8) | AIS Arena | 1–0 |
| 2 | October 20 | Townsville | 67–65 | Griffin, Nurse (16) | Griffin (13) | Époupa, Griffin (4) | National Convention Centre | 2–0 |
| 3 | October 25 | @ Melbourne | 72–107 | Froling (14) | Griffin (10) | Époupa (4) | Geelong Arena | 2–1 |
| 4 | October 27 | @ Sydney | 75–81 | Nurse (21) | Tolo (9) | Époupa, Griffin (4) | Brydens Stadium | 2–2 |
| 5 | November 2 | Sydney | 91–66 | Nurse (21) | Tolo (9) | Époupa (10) | AIS Arena | 3–2 |
| 6 | November 7 | @ Southside | 91–72 | Nurse (21) | Griffin (13) | Époupa (7) | Dandenong Stadium | 4–2 |
| 7 | November 9 | @ Melbourne | 79–76 | Nurse (22) | Griffin (9) | Époupa (8) | State Basketball Centre | 5–2 |
| 8 | November 24 | Perth | 84–66 | Griffin (19) | Griffin (15) | Époupa, Nurse (6) | National Convention Centre | 6–2 |
| 9 | November 30 | Townsville | 87–78 | Griffin (27) | Époupa, Griffin (7) | Époupa (6) | National Convention Centre | 7–2 |
| 10 | December 6 | @ Bendigo | 91–66 | Nurse (32) | Griffin (12) | Époupa (6) | Bendigo Stadium | 8–2 |
| 11 | December 15 | Southside | 65–70 | Tolo (16) | Griffin (12) | Époupa (7) | National Convention Centre | 8–3 |
| 12 | December 21 | Bendigo | 76–66 | Froling (30) | Époupa (12) | Époupa (5) | National Convention Centre | 9–3 |
| 13 | December 27 | @ Adelaide | 68–78 (OT) | Tolo (22) | Époupa, Tolo (12) | Nurse (5) | Titanium Security Arena | 9–4 |
| 14 | December 29 | @ Perth | 76–59 | Nurse (23) | Époupa (14) | Époupa (7) | Bendat Basketball Centre | 10–4 |
| 15 | January 3 | @ Bendigo | 90–94 | Tolo (26) | Tolo (17) | Époupa (11) | Bendigo Stadium | 10–5 |
| 16 | January 10 | @ Townsville | 69–102 | Nurse, Tolo (17) | Froling (10) | Époupa (8) | Townsville Stadium | 10–6 |
| 17 | January 17 | Melbourne | 76–75 (OT) | Nurse (23) | Époupa (16) | Époupa (7) | National Convention Centre | 11–6 |
| 18 | January 19 | @ Southside | 98–74 | Nurse (33) | Époupa (13) | Époupa (8) | Dandenong Stadium | 12–6 |
| 19 | January 22 | Perth | 89–75 | Tolo (22) | Tolo (9) | Époupa (8) | National Convention Centre | 13–6 |
| 20 | January 26 | Sydney | 82–66 | Nurse (25) | Griffin, Tolo (7) | Époupa (8) | National Convention Centre | 14–6 |
| 21 | February 1 | Adelaide | 73–71 | Nurse (28) | Griffin (10) | Griffin (7) | National Convention Centre | 15–6 |

### Finals
#### Semi-finals

| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location | Series |
| 1 | February 16 | Melbourne | 84–70 | Nurse (25) | Griffin (12) | Époupa (6) | AIS Arena | 1–0 |
| 2 | February 23 | @ Melbourne | 76–88 | Griffin, Nurse (17) | Froling, Griffin (7) | Nurse (4) | State Basketball Centre | 1–1 |
| 3 | February 26 | Melbourne | 77–64 | Tolo (20) | Griffin (9) | Époupa (9) | AIS Arena | 2–1 |

#### Grand Final

| Game | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location | Series |
| 1 | March 1 | Southside | 82–80 | Nurse (19) | Griffin (12) | Époupa (6) | Dandenong Stadium | 1–0 |
| 2 | March 4 | @ Southside | 71–68 | Tolo (19) | Griffin (13) | Époupa (11) | AIS Arena | 2–0 |

## Awards
### In-season

| Award | Recipient | Round(s) |
| Player of the Week | Kelsey Griffin | Round 1 |
| Player of the Week | Kia Nurse | Rounds 3 & 9 |
| Team of the Week | Kelsey Griffin | Rounds 1, 5, 6 & 7 |
| Team of the Week | Kia Nurse | Rounds 1, 5, 8, 14, 15 & 16 |
| Team of the Week | Olivia Époupa | Rounds 4, 11 & 14 |
| Team of the Week | Keely Froling | Round 10 |
| Team of the Week | Marianna Tolo | Round 11 |
| Team of the Week | Maddison Rocci | Round 15 |

### Post-season

| Award | Recipient | Date |
| Top Shooter Award | Kia Nurse | 3 February 2020 |
| Most Valuable Player | Kia Nurse | 14 February 2020 |
| All-WNBL First Team | Kia Nurse | 17 February 2020 |
| Coach of the Year | Paul Goriss | 17 February 2020 |
| Grand Final MVP | Olivia Époupa | 4 March 2020 |

### Club Awards

| Award | Recipient | Date |
| Most Valuable Player | Kia Nurse | 10 March 2020 |
| Best Defensive Player | Olivia Époupa | 10 March 2020 |
| Players Player | Marianna Tolo | 10 March 2020 |
| Capital on the Rise Award | Abby Cubillo | 10 March 2020 |