Canberra Capitals small forward Rachel Jarry believes she can handle the rigours of a hectic WNBL schedule as she continues her comeback from knee surgery.
The Capitals are stinging in the wake of consecutive losses but they've got a chance to bounce back against the Dandenong Rangers at the National Convention Centre on Sunday.
Jarry looms as a key figure in the Capitals' line-up as they look to reboot their championship bid against a winless Rangers outfit and force their way back into the top four.
She has even surprised herself with how quickly she has returned to a full training program but the 25-year-old is still paying regular visits to the Australian Institute of Sport to use an anti-gravity treadmill.
Jarry is still a week-to-week proposition but she is edging towards a return to full fitness, which is welcome news with Capitals coach Paul Goriss adamant his side is "around the mark" when it comes to matching it with the WNBL's best.
"Getting through four games in a couple of weeks is pretty good I think, I maybe didn't expect that going into the season so I think I'll be better come next week," Jarry said.
"Now that I feel a bit more comfortable on court, hopefully I can just keep improving my game and getting back to where I can be.
"I've pretty much been in full training. With the two weekends with two games, last week a bit lighter anyway so in that sense everyone was a bit managed.
"We'll just monitor myself going forward, and if I need a day off or whatever I'm sure [Capitals coach Paul Goriss] will oblige... but this week we'll work hard after last weekend."
A broken laptop has saved Goriss from seeing footage of Canberra's horror showing against Melbourne.
He jokes it's "probably a good omen" and says a season packed with short turnarounds means he can't afford to spend time worrying about losses.
Goriss was left "bitterly disappointed" by the loss to the Boomers and admits it hasn't been easy to leap straight back into practice and forget about it.
But back-to-back losses early in the season have given the Capitals "a kick up the backside" leading into their clash with the Rangers.
"You don't want to dwell too much on what happened in the past, we definitely need to learn from what we did and didn't do on Sunday," Goriss said.
"There's still got to be that sting about it, but at the same time we've got to be able to move on. We've got to be able to rectify things, move on and then get ready to play Dandenong on Sunday.
"A little bit of sting and a little bit of hurt gives you a kick up the backside. Going 2-0 to start the the season was great for us, but now it's been a bit of a reality check, playing Townsville and Melbourne.
"They're predicted to be number one and two. We're around the mark, we've just got to get better."
WNBL ROUND THREE
Sunday: Canberra Capitals v Dandenong Rangers at the National Convention Centre, 3pm.
