The Canberra Capitals said they would have taken a financial hit or been forced to turn fans away from the club's 30th anniversary celebrations if it did not reschedule its round 18 WNBL fixture.
The Capitals will play the Bendigo Spirit at Tuggeranong Stadium on Sunday after the WNBL enacted a heat policy to protect players from predicted 41-degree temperatures on Saturday.
Basketball ACT is considering postponing its junior competitions this weekend because the Belconnen and Tuggeranong stadiums don't have air conditioning, while Cricket ACT will cancel its junior games if temperatures exceed 34 degrees.
The Capitals investigated other venue options to keep tip-off at 3pm on Saturday, including playing at the AIS Arena or the AIS Training Hall.
But the Capitals would have made a financial loss playing at the 5000-seat AIS Arena and they were worried the AIS Training Hall would not be big enough to cater for the crowd.
"It's disappointing but we wanted to make the best decision for everyone. We had options at other venues but they wouldn't have been suitable for our playing group or our fans," said Capitals general manager Matthew Phelps.
"We've been very successful at Tuggeranong this year so we really wanted to keep our home court advantage with it being such a critical game.
"Our fans love being at Tuggeranong and they've been extremely supportive of us this year, so hopefully they come along and help us push for a spot in the finals."
The Capitals are walking a finals tightrope and must beat the Spirit to stay in contention for a play-off berth.
The Capitals have invited all of their past players to a 30-year reunion at the game to celebrate the most successful club in WNBL history.
The post-season door will be slammed shut on the loser as the sides remain locked in a three-way dogfight with Townsville for the all-important fourth spot on the WNBL ladder.
Canberra is gunning for its first finals appearance in six years and coach Paul Goriss agreed there were some positives in rescheduling the must-win clash.
"It upends a few things on a day-to-day basis but it also gives us a bit more of a break after coming off the tough Adelaide-Perth road trip, an extra day recovery can only help," Goriss said.
"We've been in this predicament since Christmas with the do-or-die situation, so I don't think there is any extra pressure, it's just business as usual."
Bendigo lead the series 2-1 with the home side tasting victory in all three clashes this season and Goriss believes the court advantage will again play a significant role.
"Getting to play at home is a different ball game, we've got a good record there and the crowd really gets into it at that stadium," he said.
"The way we finished off the game in Perth I was really excited about that fourth quarter, so I'm confident with our fans behind us the girls can put together a four-quarter performance and get over the line."
WNBL ROUND 18
Sunday: Canberra Capitals v Bendigo Spirit at Tuggeranong Stadium, 12pm. Tickets available at the door.
