# 2018–19 Canberra Capitals season

The 2018–19 Canberra Capitals season was the 35th season for the franchise in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). It saw the team's eighth premiership win.

## Standings

| # | WNBL Championship ladder | WNBL Championship ladder | WNBL Championship ladder | WNBL Championship ladder | WNBL Championship ladder |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GP |
| 1 | Canberra Capitals | 16 | 5 | 76.1 | 21 |
| 2 | Melbourne Boomers | 15 | 6 | 71.4 | 21 |
| 3 | Adelaide Lightning | 13 | 8 | 61.9 | 21 |
| 4 | Perth Lynx | 13 | 8 | 61.9 | 21 |
| 5 | Dandenong Rangers | 9 | 12 | 42.8 | 21 |
| 6 | Townsville Fire | 9 | 12 | 42.8 | 21 |
| 7 | Bendigo Spirit | 7 | 14 | 33.3 | 21 |
| 8 | Sydney Uni Flames | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 21 |

## Results
### Regular season

| Round | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location | Record |
| 1 | 12 October 2018 | @ Sydney Uni Flames | 97-78 | Kia Nurse (26) | Kelly Wilson (8) | Kelly Wilson (11) | Brydens Stadium | 1–0 |
| 2 | 19 October 2018 | @ Melbourne Boomers | 72-65 | Kelsey Griffin (23) | Kelsey Griffin (14) | Kelly Wilson (8) | Geelong Arena | 2–0 |
| 2 | 21 October 2018 | Adelaide Lightning | 79-75 | Kelsey Griffin (23) | Lauren Scherf (10) | Leilani Mitchell (4) | National Convention Centre | 3–0 |
| 3 | 26 October 2018 | Melbourne Boomers | 78–84 | Kia Nurse (26) | Kelsey Griffin (11) | Kelly Wilson (8) | AIS Arena | 3–1 |
| 4 | 4 November 2018 | Sydney Uni Flames | 84–79 | Kelly Wilson (17) | Kelsey Griffin (13) | Lauren Scherf (4) | National Convention Centre | 4–1 |
| 5 | 10 November 2018 | @ Perth Lynx | 65–71 | Kelsey Griffin (30) | Kelsey Griffin (18) | Kelly Wilson (4) | Bendat Basketball Centre | 4–2 |
| 6 | 18 November 2018 | Dandenong Rangers | 77–65 | Kelsey Griffin (30) | Lauren Scherf (8) | Kelly Wilson (7) | National Convention Centre | 5–2 |
| 7 | 23 November 2018 | Melbourne Boomers | 72–70 | Kelsey Griffin (16) | Kelsey Griffin (18) | Kelly Wilson (4) | National Convention Centre | 6–2 |
| 8 | 20 November 2018 | Perth Lynx | 84–88 | Kia Nurse (17) | Kelsey Griffin (14) | Kelly Wilson (8) | National Convention Centre | 6–3 |
| 8 | 2 December 2018 | @ Adelaide Lightning | 83–91 | Kelsey Griffin (23) | Kelsey Griffin (12) | Kelly Wilson (11) | Titanium Security Arena | 6–4 |
| 9 | 9 December 2018 | Bendigo Spirit | 94–63 | Marianna Tolo (23) | Kelsey Griffin (7) | Kelly Wilson (7) | National Convention Centre | 7–4 |
| 10 | 14 December 2018 | @ Adelaide Lightning | 73–93 | Kelsey Griffin (18) | Marianna Tolo (8) | Leilani Mitchell (4) | Titanium Security Arena | 7–5 |
| 10 | 26 December 2018 | Perth Lynx | 92–60 | Kelsey Griffin (27) | Kelsey Griffin (15) | Leilani Mitchell (7) | National Convention Centre | 8–5 |
| 11 | 21 December 2018 | Dandenong Rangers | 87–60 | Kelsey Griffin (24) | Kelsey Griffin (14) | Leilani Mitchell (6) | National Convention Centre | 9–5 |
| 11 | 23 December 2018 | @ Townsville Fire | 81–55 | Kelsey Griffin (21) | Marianna Tolo (11) | Kelly Wilson (7) | Townsville Stadium | 10–5 |
| 12 | 28 December 2018 | Townsville Fire | 104–75 | Kia Nurse (33) | Kelsey Griffin (12) | Leilani Mitchell (8) | National Convention Centre | 11–5 |
| 12 | 30 December 2018 | @ Dandenong Rangers | 86–43 | Kia Nurse (26) | Lauren Scherf (11) | Leilani Mitchell (5) | Dandenong Stadium | 12–5 |
| 13 | 4 January 2019 | Bendigo Spirit | 102–62 | Kelsey Griffin (27) | Lauren Scherf (10) | Leilani Mitchell (7) | AIS Arena | 13–5 |
| 14 | 11 January 2019 | @ Townsville Fire | 80–68 | Leilani Mitchell (20) | Lauren Scherf (10) | Leilani Mitchell (7) | Townsville Stadium | 14–5 |
| 14 | 13 January 2019 | @ Sydney Uni Flames | 99–79 | Leilani Mitchell (24) | Kelsey Griffin (11) | Leilani Mitchell (8) | Qudos Bank Arena | 15–5 |
| 15 | 19 January 2019 | @ Bendigo Spirit | 97–101 | Marianna Tolo (27) | Kelsey Griffin (20) | Leilani Mitchell (9) | Bendigo Stadium | 16–5 |

### Semi-finals

| Round | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location | Record | Report |
| 1 | 25 January 2019 | Perth Lynx | 95–76 | Kia Nurse (31) | Kelsey Griffin (12) | Leilani Mitchell (7) | AIS Arena | 1–0 | |
| 2 | 25 January 2019 | @ Perth Lynx | 91–75 | Kia Nurse (27) | Kelsey Griffin (13) | Kelly Wilson (12) | Bendat Basketball Centre | 2–0 | |

### Grand Finals

| Round | Date | Team | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location | Record |
| 1 | 9 February 2019 | Adelaide Lightning | 88-76 | Kia Nurse (23) | Kelsey Griffin (12) | Leilani Mitchell (8) | AIS Arena | 1–0 |
| 2 | 13 February 2019 | @ Adelaide Lightning | 73–74 | Kelsey Griffin (24) | Kelsey Griffin (23) | Leilani Mitchell (9) | Titanium Security Arena | 1–1 |
| 3 | 16 February 2019 | Adelaide Lightning | 93–73 | Kelsey Griffin (29) | Kelsey Griffin (15) | Leilani Mitchell (6) | AIS Arena | 2–1 |

## Team Stats

| Player | APG | BLK | FGA | FGM | FG% | FTA | FTMPG | FT% | PTS | PPG | DEF | OFF | REB | RPG | STL | 3PA | 3PM | 3P% | TO |
| Marianna Tolo | 2.06 | 23 | 156 | 89 | 56 | 40 | 1.69 | 68 | 206 | 12.88 | 55 | 32 | 87 | 5.44 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 50 | 22 |
| Leilani Mitchell | 5.46 | 3 | 249 | 102 | 41 | 35 | 1.42 | 97 | 298 | 12.42 | 57 | 23 | 80 | 3.33 | 41 | 144 | 60 | 42 | 44 |
| Lauren Scherf | 1.23 | 21 | 196 | 86 | 44 | 29 | 0.81 | 72 | 194 | 7.46 | 92 | 57 | 149 | 5.73 | 13 | 15 | 1 | 7 | 32 |
| Kelsey Griffin | 2.77 | 25 | 403 | 204 | 51 | 108 | 3.04 | 73 | 511 | 19.65 | 213 | 106 | 319 | 12.27 | 44 | 74 | 24 | 32 | 38 |
| Keely Froling | 0.54 | 9 | 100 | 45 | 45 | 40 | 1.04 | 68 | 123 | 4.73 | 46 | 29 | 75 | 2.88 | 5 | 18 | 6 | 33 | 16 |
| Isabelle Bourne | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maddison Rocci | 1.96 | 2 | 129 | 45 | 35 | 41 | 1.31 | 83 | 139 | 5.35 | 32 | 14 | 46 | 1.77 | 21 | 46 | 15 | 33 | 34 |
| Kristy Wallace | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 33 | 2 | 0.5 | 50 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 100 | 1 |
| Hannah Young | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.17 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0.5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kelly Wilson | 6.19 | 9 | 201 | 80 | 40 | 31 | 1.04 | 87 | 208 | 8 | 87 | 31 | 118 | 4.54 | 37 | 67 | 21 | 31 | 62 |
| Elizajane Loader | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.13 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Abby Cubillo | 0.14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.14 | 50 | 1 | 0.14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.29 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Kaili McLaren | 0.55 | 8 | 57 | 26 | 46 | 12 | 0.45 | 83 | 66 | 3 | 25 | 8 | 33 | 1.5 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 36 | 9 |
| Kia Nurse | 2.12 | 7 | 391 | 155 | 40 | 118 | 3.38 | 75 | 478 | 18.38 | 107 | 21 | 128 | 4.92 | 39 | 201 | 80 | 40 | 48 |
Source:

## Signings
### Returning

| Player | Signed | Contract |
| Keely Froling | 29 March 2018 | 2-year contract |
| Lauren Scherf | 4 May 2017 | 2-year contract |
| Maddison Rocci | 17 April 2018 | 1-year contract |

### Incoming

| Player | Signed | Contract |
| Kelsey Griffin | 8 March 2018 | 1-year contract |
| Leilani Mitchell | 22 March 2018 | 1-year contract |
| Marianna Tolo | 19 April 2018 | 1-year contract |
| Kristy Wallace | 3 May 2018 | 2-year contract |
| Kelly Wilson | 22 June 2018 | 1-year contract |
| Hannah Young | 25 July 2018 | 1-year contract |
| Kia Nurse | 9 August 2018 | 1-year contract |
| Kaili McLaren | 21 August 2018 | 1-year contract |

## Awards
### Post-season

| Award | Recipient | Reference |
| WNBL Most Valuable Player Award | Kelsey Griffin | |
| WNBL Grand Final Most Valuable Player Award | Kelsey Griffin | |