Golden Zitana's 'Capital' goal is WNBL championship

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Zitina Aokuso is back home in Australia and pumped for the start of the WNBL season.

"Great to be back playing in Australia again," she said.

"Turkey was fun, but I'm super excited for the season."

Aokuso, after a successful stint in Turkey’s Women’s Basketball Super League playing for OGM Ormanspor, has championship ambitions with the UC Capitals to add to her titles with the Townsville Fire and a gold medal with the Australian Opals at the 2025 FIBA Women's Asia Cup in China.

Aokuso, 26, was at yesterday's announcement of the season opener at Melbourne’s John Cain Arena.

The WNBL’s New Era

The WNBL's significant rebrand has created a buzz throughout the women's basketball in Australia.

The league's transformation under new ownership includes a new look, broadcasting arrangements, and a landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement that will revolutionise women's professional basketball in Australia.

The opening round features a marquee match-up at John Cain Arena, pitting Aokuso's Capitals against the Southside Flyers.

"It's so exciting that we get to play the Flyers at John Cain Arena. We played here with the Opals for some friendly games against China, and the atmosphere was insane," Aokuso said.

This growth in women's basketball has Aokuso energised.

"The league is huge, and for women's basketball in Australia to be growing the way it is with more girls playing basketball, I think it's huge for us. With the new broadcasting, having that visibility is massive and will hopefully bring in more fans," she declared.

Gold Medal Success with the Opals

The Australian Opals' 2025 Asia Cup campaign ended in gold medal glory, a testament to the nation’s talent and culture. Aokuso was quick to highlight the importance of team chemistry in their success.

"We had a really good culture. We had some friendly games before the tournament started, and we really set the tone of what we expected from each other," she reflected.

"Our culture was huge. We had great humans but also very talented players, and ‘Goz’ (Head coach Paul Goriss) really led us that way, and Cayla (George) as well."

Facing Former Teammates

One interesting dynamic of the domestic season is competing against national teammates. Aokuso will face off against Opals captain Cayla George when the Capitals meet the Flyers.

"Cayla and I go way back. I started my pro season in Townsville with her, and she took me under her wing," she added.

"She's always been a huge idol for me and provided guidance. I'm really looking forward to it. It's going to be a really good battle, as it always is with Cayla."

Championship Aspirations with the Capitals

The Canberra Capitals have assembled an impressive roster that has Aokuso confident about their title chances.

"I think we have huge potential. We're really good on paper, and with Goz's guidance and Jade (Melbourne) leading the way for us, I think we'll definitely be in contention for the championship," Aokuso affirmed.

When asked about key teammates, Aokuso was quick to highlight several standouts: "Jade, of course, number one. Teams trying to stop Jade and then having Sarah Blicavs, who's a knockdown shooter, and Kadi Sissoko, who's huge, athletic, can run the floor and do a bit of everything."

She also praised the returning players.

"Monique Bobongie, Jayda Clark, and Nyadiew (Pouch) will be huge. Nyads is getting really good.

"Many of us have played together already, so we've already got that chemistry, which is crucial for winning games."

The ‘Goz’ Factor

Paul Goriss, affectionately known as "Goz," was a significant factor in Aokuso's decision to join the Capitals.

Their relationship dates back to her time at the Australian Institute of Sport.

"Goz was probably the number one reason why I decided to go to Canberra," Aokuso said.

"He's just believed in me from day one and saw the potential that I had. I just really want to get better, and I know Goz can help me with that."

NBL1’s Growing Importance

The NBL1 has experienced significant growth in the past three years, offering crucial development opportunities for WNBL players during the off-season, something Aokuso got to experience with the NBL1 West’s Willetton Tigers this year.

After being named to the All-NBL1 West First Team, she couldn’t be more positive about the impact of playing in the league.

"It's huge. Whether I go play overseas or WNBL, I think it's really good to keep playing in the off-season,” she said.

“NBL1 is important because not only do players in the WNBL come down to NBL1, but maintaining that level of competition is huge, and NBL1definitely delivers that," Aokuso noted.

As the WNBL season approaches, Aokuso's return and an impressive off-season of recruiting signal how serious the Capitals are about returning to the pinnacle for the first time since 2019.