Jade Melbourne: 'Why Canberra will always be special to me'

• The Canberra Capitals tip-off the WNBL season against the Southside Melbourne Flyers at John Cain Arena on October 18
• Jade Melbourne has played five seasons with the Capitals and just finished her third season in the WNBA
• The 23-year-old has won an Olympic bronze medal and a FIBA Asia Cup gold with the Opals

Jade Melbourne is one of the true great characters of Australian basketball and has become one of the faces of the WNBL at just 23-years-old.

Just days out from arguably the most anticipated seasons in WNBL history, following on from several historic changes - including a new CBA deal, new ownership, new television deal and a league rebrand - Melbourne joins basketball.com.au's Jason Cadee as our special guest on 'Cut to the Jase' ahead of season tip-off on October 18.

Melbourne and the Canberra Capitals will start the revamped league in a big way at John Cain Arena, taking on the Southside Melbourne Flyers.

Having burst onto the WNBL scene as a teenager in the Covid North Queensland hub in 2020, the Washington Mystics WNBA guard has since established herself as a one of the biggest basketball stars in this country.

In just five years as a professional, Melbourne has won an Olympic bronze medal and a FIBA Asia Cup bronze with the Australian Opals, played three seasons in the WNBA and was part of the negotiations to form a landmark new four-year CBA deal for the WNBL, which was finalised in April this year and will see the minimum wage more than double.

In the latest episode of 'Cut to the Jase', the Capitals young gun talks about the exciting changes around the league, what it means for the future of women's basketball and how the WNBL's current playing group now has a responsibility to take the game forward.

Melbourne also speaks on Canberra's special place in her heart, why her team can feature in the playoffs, and her journey from a fresh-faced rookie five years ago - to finally feeling like she belongs in the WNBA with the biggest stars in world basketball.

OTHER TOPICS ON EPISODE 5 WITH JASON CADEE

• Why he has a feeling of deja vu with the changes for the WNBL
• His JC5 Points from the NBL, including a tribute to 300-gamer Nathan Sobey
• NBL Round 5 tips from Cadee and Brayden Heslehurst

For tickets to the WNBL season opener between the Southside Melbourne Flyers and UC Capitals, click here.