The UC Capitals lose their shot at WNBL final after eight players test positive for COVID-19

The Canberra Capitals' WNBL finals campaign has come to a crushing end, with the side unable to field a team as COVID-19 continues to tear though its camp.

The Capitals have eight confirmed cases of the virus, with the rest of the team in isolation.

The team was set to host the Perth Lynx in Canberra last Sunday, with the winner of the best-of-three series due to face the Melbourne Boomers in the championship decider, starting in Melbourne on Saturday, April 2.

With hours before the game commenced on Sunday,the WNBL announced a number Canberra players had tested positive for COVID-19, along with other players who were symptomatic and awaiting test results, and postponed the game.

Due to the ACT government's COVID-19 guidelines, affected athletes cannot leave isolation until they produce a negative PCR test, leaving the Capitals to make up a team of seven.

Shortly after the game was postponed, the league advised that the Lynx-Capitals series would revert to a best-of-two series with the winner determined by a points spread over the two games, as per FIBA rules.

The Capitals have faced difficulty in their WNBL finals bid already this year when their home court — the National Conventional Centre Canberra (NCCC) — indicated it would not be able to host the team's finals.

The league's decision means the Perth Lynx will progress to the grand final to face the Melbourne Boomers.