IN AN absolutely dominant display on their home court at the Australian Institute of Sport, the UC Capitals cruised home to a whopping 40-point win over the Sydney Flames in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) over the weekend.

The Capitals came into the clash on a four-game losing streak and desperately needing a win to stay in touch with the contenders in the standings. They hosted a Flames side that has also struggled throughout the 2025/26 season, so this matchup was a chance for both sides to move up the ladder with a win on Saturday afternoon.

It was a completely one-sided affair at the AIS, with the Capitals taking an early lead and never slowing down, as the Flames found themselves convincingly outplayed. In the end, it was the home side getting the job done by 40 points in Canberra, in what could be a result that sparks the remainder of their campaign.

UC Capitals (96) def. Sydney Flames (56)

In what was their biggest win since early 2022, the Capitals were relentless against Sydney, also recording the largest winning margin throughout the early stages of the WNBL season and may have brought themselves back into form with a hefty victory.

Although technical difficulties saw the match delayed by an hour, it did not slow down the home side as Canberra hit the front in the first 12 seconds of the match and never gave it up from there. At the first change, the Capitals led by a whopping 24 points, essentially putting the game to bed in the first 10 minutes and putting themselves in cruise control from there.

It was a poor showing from the Flames, who turned the ball over 28 times and shot just 28 per cent from the field, which essentially gave them no chance to keep up with the firing Capitals, as the game fell out of reach early on.

Five Capitals players scored double-digits in a terrific team performance, with Jade Melbourne and Sara Blicavs leading the way for Canberra. Melbourne was her usual busy self with 14 points, six rebounds and seven assists, while Blicavs top-scored with 17 points, with Kadiatou Sissoko (14 points), Teige Morrell (10 points) and Nicole Munger (12 points) also impressing.

In what was a dirty day at the office for her team overall, Unique Thompson tried hard to carry the Flames on the offensive end. She worked hard to get to her spots and still finished the match with 19 points off the bench on an impressive 7/12 shooting from the field, and can hold her head high despite the result.