Changing of the guard ushers in new Caps era

UC Capitals coach Paul Goriss says the comparisons are inevitable – but it’s just part of basketball.

American import Meg McConnell checks in to Canberra from Bendigo Spirit as Jade Melbourne heads south to the Victorian goldfields team after six years in the national capital.

Adding to the growing discussion after the point guard switch, the two clubs collide at the AIS Arena on 17 October in round one of the 2026-27 WNBL season.

The irony isn’t lost on Goriss, who says the game has a habit of drawing parallels between players and teams from different generations.

“You’re always going to get compared,” he says. “But Canberra’s been through that.

“There was the Lauren Jackson era back in [former coach] Carrie Graf’s days, then we had the Kelsey Griffin and Marianna Tolo era before the Jade Melbourne era.”

He’s proud of Melbourne and the part his organisation played in developing her as a WNBA player and Opals representative.

“At the same time, we’ve got to move on. Everyone makes choices, and we respect Jade for choosing a different path in her career.

“But we can’t worry about who’s not here.”

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