By Guy Hand
The WNBL's traditional powerhouse against the competition's brightest star.
The Canberra Capitals - seven-time WNBL champions and chasing a third successive title - take on a Bulleen Boomers side propelled by teenage superstar Liz Cambage in what could prove a classic grand final in Melbourne on Sunday.
The Caps have been buoyed with the confirmed return of Opals centre Suzy Batkovic from an elbow injury to attempt to shackle Cambage, the 19-year-old centre who has dominated the competition this season.
Scoring on average 22 points a match, Cambage shredded the Caps in their major semi-final a fortnight ago with a game-high 29 points in Batkovic's absence.
But Batkovic and Marianna Tolo have been reunited to combat Cambage and fellow tall Elyse Penaluna's inside threat.
Bulleen will also have guards Jenna O'Hea and Kylie Ryan and forward Rachel Jarry back from injury, with coach Tom Maher confirming all three would suit up for the match.
The Boomers have never won a WNBL title and have lost the last two to the Caps.
Canberra coach Carrie Graf has maintained the same routine as normal for her side going into the grand final, but refuses to put too much weight on her club's superb winning record in playoffs.
"The club's got a history of winning, an expectation of winning ... but we don't weight a lot on (the psychology of having beaten Bulleen in previous grand finals)," Graf told AAP.
"Four of our players who started on that team are not on this team - seven of our core nine from that team are not on this team.
"But we've got a full complement of people in the group available, and having a dual Olympian (Batkovic) back in the line-up really helps."
Maher believes the experience of two beaten grand finals, and maturity in the seasons since, have his young team ready to peak for Sunday's clash at the State Netball and Hockey Centre.
"It's like seeing Chris Judd at 19. I'll bet he was great, but was he as good as he is now?" Maher told AAP.
"The biggest factor in our favour is that as a group, they've matured and have higher basketball IQs now.
"It's a pleasure to coach this group. They're great people."