The Canberra Capitals have recruited the daughter of a former Harlem Globetrotter and childhood friend of Ben Simmons to bolster their roster for their mission to end a finals drought.
But news of the arrival of rising gun Hannah Young was offset slightly by the nervous wait for advice from a surgeon about the best way to treat marquee player Kelsey Griffin's hamstring injury.
The Canberra Capitals have recruited Hannah Young for the 2018-19 season.
Photo: Jonathan Carroll
The Capitals will unveil Virginia Tech forward Young as the club's as newest signing on Thursday after coach Paul Goriss recruited her to the WNBL after six years overseas.
Young's father Lewis played for the world famous Harlem Globetrotters before moving his career to Australia and she grew up with NBA rookie of the year Simmons as a one-on-one driveway rival in Newcastle.
Her decision to move to Canberra is a massive coup for the Capitals, as the former Australian junior representative player attempts to launch her career in the WNBL.
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Young started every game in her final season at Virginia Tech in 2015-16 and has been playing for the Newcastle Hunters in the Waratah Championship League since returning from the United States.
Hannah Young with her father Lewis Young, a former professional basketball player and Harlem Globetrotter, in 2012.
Photo: Jonathan Carroll
She will be one of Canberra's Goriss is still finalising his roster, with the Capitals expected to unveil an international recruit in the coming weeks to add another weapon their team.
But they were waiting for a medical report on Griffin's injury on Wednesday night after injuring her hamstring while playing for the Australian Opals in a Four Nations tournament in China last week.
Griffin had scans to determine the damage, but was told she should meet a surgeon to decide if she would need an operation or could rehab the injury without surgery.
The 31-year-old is a massive part of the Opals' plans for the world championships to be played in Spain in September just two weeks before the start of the WNBL season.
A long-term injury could threaten her hopes of playing at the world titles, but Goriss was hopeful she would be cleared to return to the court within six weeks.
The Capitals will already be missing Marianna Tolo and Kristy Wallace will miss large chunks of the season as they continue their rehabilitation from knee injuries.
"My first thought was for Kelsey when she went down, especially after how diligent she's been with her rehab [after an ankle injury]," Goriss said.
"But my heart went in my mouth. You think about the Capitals and then about the world championships as well because she's still in the mix for that.
"She was meeting with a surgeon, the advice was to speak with them to see what the best way to deal with it was. Hopefully it's around six weeks, but we're not sure."
The Capitals have set their sights on forcing their way back into the WNBL finals series for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
Goriss has recruited big-name players, including Griffin, Tolo and Leilani Mitchell, as well as adding WNBL veteran Kelly Wilson and some rising stars.
But the pre-season preparation will hit a hurdle in September when Goriss joins the Opals for the world championships as part of his role as an assistant coach.
Goriss' assistants in Canberra will take charge of the Capitals, with the Opals contingent to return to Australia just two weeks before the WNBL season opener.
"We're working through all of that now and how pre-season will look while I'm away," Goriss said.
