[3] After struggling to make an impact on the competition for more than a decade, the Capitals became one of the dominant teams in the WNBL in the 2000s, due in part to the ascension of one of the greatest female players in the world Lauren Jackson.

Since 2017, the Capitals have played out of the National Convention Centre Canberra for regular season games, as well as community and school venues Southern Cross Stadium, Tuggeranong and Radford College.

Robinson quit the WNBL to represent Australia in European Handball prior to the 2000 Sydney Olympics,[14] while Haave continued her career with Swedish team Sätila SK, and Owens was recruited to play in Holland.

The Capitals signed 1998/99 league MVP Lauren Jackson in a recruitment coup that also netted the club point guard Kristen Veal and swingman Deanna Smith.

When these three pieces of the puzzle were combined with veterans Shelley Sandie and Karen Smith along with forward Eleanor Sharp the Capitals finally had a team capable of contending for the WNBL title.

The week off did them no favours however, as Sydney overcame a half time deficit to win the Grand Final 69-65[19] despite Jackson recording figures of 22 points, 20 rebounds and 8 blocked shots for the game.

The Capitals avenged the previous seasons loss, beating Sydney in the 2001/02 decider 75-69 for their second WNBL crown and their first title won in front of the home fans.

The team also suited up without the retired Shelley Sandie, guard Kim Wielens and up and coming forward Jacinta Hamilton, who left to play for the Dandenong Rangers.

Despite this loss of depth and experience the Capitals core group of Lauren Jackson, Kristen Veal, Lucille Hamilton, Eleanor Sharp and Kellie Abrams went one step better than the 2001/02 team, finishing the competition as minor premiers with a 16–5 win–loss record.

Group A included the EuroLeague champions UMMC Ekaterinbourg (Russia), Woori Bank Hansae (South Korea), São Paulo Futebal Clube (Brazil) and a WNBA Select Team (United States).

The Capitals, including new recruits Jo Hill, Zoe Carr and Kate Cohen, finished equal 2nd in Group B and 5th overall with a 3–2 record, beating Mambas 102–45, São Paulo 88-66 and Woori Bank Hansae 74–63, while losing to USVA Valenciennes 89-68 and Volgaburmash 72–56.

Thankfully the Capitals had already coaxed veteran centre Jenny Whittle out of retirement and had also picked up 18-year-old New Zealand point guard Angela Marino from the local Adelaide competition.

[27] Seven games into the season, the Capitals were struck another blow with defensive specialist Kellie Abrams announcing she was quitting the club in what appeared to be a personality clash with coach Maher.

Replacing Abrams in the Capitals squad was New Zealand international forward Donna Loffhagen, signed by the club to bolster their rebounding presence in the absence of the injured Jackson.

To compensate for the loss of scoring power provided by Jackson, Graf used her U.S. connections to engineer a WNBL coup by signing WNBA All Star guard/forward Alana Beard for 8 games.

The Capitals did however sign guard Jess Bibby from Dandenong and forward Abby Bishop from the AIS to complement the core group of Beatty, Abrams, Sharp and Bevilaqua.

Peta Sinclair retired from the WNBL to take up a scholarship coaching role with the AIS women's basketball team and guard Michaela Bennie left to focus on university studies.

[37] On 25 November the Canberra Capitals made the international women's basketball signing coup of the year by enticing Lauren Jackson back to the WNBL with a $220,000 contract to play out the remainder of the season.

The club was however able to soften the blow of losing Jackson, Beatty and Bishop from the front court by enticing Sydney Flames and Opals powerhouse centre Suzy Batkovic to Canberra on a one-year deal.

To cover for the injured centre the Capitals were able to entice Tracey Beatty out of retirement on a short-term contract, which eventuated in her remaining on board for the entire season.

[50] The club also welcomed forwards Samantha Norwood from the West Coast Waves and American import Valerie Ogoke from St Mary's Academy, California to fill out the front court alongside Jackson and Ardossi.

Following an opening round win that saw them briefly on top of the WNBL ladder, the Capitals went on a thirteen-game losing streak, missing the finals for the seventh year in a row, and finishing sixth.

[63] An intense recruiting effort saw the Capitals signing Kelly Wilson from Townsville, Kelsey Griffin from Bendigo, Kristy Wallace from the Baylor Lady Bears basketball, and Opals Marianna Tolo and Leilani Mitchell.

The team was impressive on paper, but were carrying a host of ailments: Griffin had played just six games in 2017/18 after surgery and hamstring problems; Mitchell had missed the 2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup on account of a leg injury; and Tolo and Wallace had torn an ACL.

[77] Kia Nurse was re-signed,[78] but her commitments with the New York Liberty in the WNBA and the Canadian national team meant she arrived back in Canberra just days before the start of round one.

[82] and 20-year-olds Maddison Rocci and Abby Cubillo,[83][84] They also signed 23-year-old Alex Delaney,[85] and picked up 17-year-old Gemma Potter, who had played for the U17s Sapphires and U19s Gems national sides at the FIBA World Championships where she had won bronze and silver,[86] 18-year-old Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence rising star Lily Scanlon, and three development players: Shakera Reilly, Pyper Thornberry and Maddy Wheatley.

[74][87] Mikaela Ruef was signed as an additional forward, but she was still a US citizen; WNBL rules permitted only two foreign imports per team, and the Capitals already had two in Kia Nurse and Olivia Epoupa.

[95] In round fourteen, Froling had her nose and cheekbone broken by Melbourne Boomer Sophie Cunningham, but still played on, and scored the winning basket for the Capitals in extra time.

[102] The Capitals went on to win the first game of the Grand Final series by a slender two points,[103] and then, in front of a home town crowd at the AIS arena, fought their way back from a ten-point deficit to claim their ninth WNBL title.

[105] Paul Goriss was named league coach of the year,[106] and Olivia Epoupa took out the Rachael Sporn medal for Grand Final MVP after notching up 16 points, 7 rebounds and 11 assists on the night.