Canada’s Kia Nurse hits game-winner to lift Canberra to second consecutive title

CANBERRA, Australia – Canada’s Kia Nurse hit the game-winning shot to lift the Canberra Capitals to their second consecutive Australian women’s basketball league title on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old guard from Hamilton, and this season’s league MVP, hit the winning basket with 21 seconds left off a steal and pass from previous MVP Kelsey Griffin, and the Capitals beat the Southside Flyers 71-68.

“It was the most open I’d been all game so I had to knock it down,” Nurse told reporters after the game. “I’ve been in a lot of different leagues and on a lot of different teams but this team just never gives up. They don’t understand what the term optional means, they never take a rest.”

Nurse finished with 18 points for the Capitals, who clawed back from a 16-point first-half deficit against the Flyers. Trailing 45-31, they went on a 15-0 run to take the lead in Game 2 of Grand Final series.

Olivia Epoupa had 16 points and 11 assists in front of 4,481 fans.

This was Nurse’s second season playing in the eight-team WNBL, Australia’s pro women’s league.

Nurse had a standout second season with the WNBA’s New York Liberty, earning WNBA all-star honours. A large percentage of WNBA players spend their off-seasons playing in pro leagues such as Australia’s.

Nurse was also a two-time NCAA champion with Connecticut Huskies. She recently helped Canada’s women’s team book its third consecutive Olympic berth for Tokyo 2020.

— This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2020.