Canberra is one step closer to its first playoff berth in six years after a scintillating defensive effort ended Bendigo's finals hopes on Sunday.
The 77-52 win means if Canberra defeat bottom-placed Adelaide on Thursday, the all-important fourth spot on the WNBL ladder will be decided in a blockbuster winner-takes-all showdown in Townsville on Saturday night.
The Capitals produced their best defensive display of the season on Sunday but the win was soured when Abigail Wehrung went down with a serious leg injury in the second half.
Wehrung dropped 18 points in just over two quarters, but when the star guard drove hard in the paint two minutes into the third quarter she was felled from an innocuous bump and hit the deck in agony.
Before being carried off Wehrung was unstoppable as she followed up an emotional tribute to her father mid-week with arguably her best performance of the season, finishing as the game's top-scorer.
Co-captain Marianna Tolo picked up where Wehrung left off to finish with 14 points and 10 rebounds and said the team simply knew what had to be done after the injury.
"We know with a man down everyone has to bring a little bit more which we did tonight, but it's devastating because Abbey has been playing so well and she's a huge part of this team," Tolo said.
"It was a great win tonight. Capitals basketball is about courage and strength and we know even if we are in sixth spot right now that we can step up and make the finals.
"We're all desperate for it because winning a championship is the best feeling in the world, I haven't had that in a long time and I really want it again."
Capitals coach Paul Goriss agreed losing Wehrung is a huge blow, but remains pleased his side is producing its best basketball at the right end of the season.
"Abbey was great until she went down. She got hot early and brings a lot of spark. But it's a team effort, we're not a one man band, everyone contributes and plays their role," he said.
"We've handled adversity throughout the year with several injuries, so it's just the normal that if someone is out we all chip in and I think our group does that really well.
"It was an outstanding defensive effort. At this time of the year you want to be playing your best basketball and we're showing that consistency I've been preaching all season to be peaking at the right time."
Point guard Lauren Mansfield found her rhythm early, while the scoring power came from Wehrung who dropped nine points in the first term, including a buzzer-beater from beyond the arc as the Capitals led 25-17.
Bendigo came back into the contest in the second and briefly took the lead, but Canberra stormed to the main break with a 14-2 run for a 43-36 half-time advantage.
Michaela Ruef set the tone in the third with a deep step back three which ignited a huge roar from the Captials faithful and from there it was all Canberra.
Wehrung's injury only spurred the home side on as it completely dominated the third quarter to build an assailable 67-40 lead at the final change.
With the contest decided the game petered out in the fourth quarter as Goriss rested his starting players with an eye towards the final two games.
CANBERRA CAPITALS 77 (Abigail Wehrung 18, Marianna Tolo 14, Kate Gaze 13) bt BENDIGO SPIRIT 52 (Heather Oliver 12, Kelsey Griffin 11, Blake Dietrick 10) at Tuggeranong Stadium on Sunday.
