Basketball On The Internet.

FEMALE Friendly Friday: HOW good is the WNBL already starting to look for its 35th season in 2014-15 with the return of marquee names such as Lauren Jackson, Belinda Snell, Liz Cambage?

Jackson’s return to Canberra, alongside Abby Bishop and with two 2014 WNBA Draft selections in Carley Mijovic and Stephanie Talbot (ex-Lightning) in Carrie Graf’s team leaves little doubt the Capitals will be back in the hunt.

That's if free agent Mijovic stays, of course

They won’t just be the Capitals now either, having last week completed a deal with University of Canberra which now makes the tertiary institution the club owner.

“As the university’s coach in residence and the Capitals head coach, I’m in a unique position to understand the strengths of these two great Canberra institutions and the huge potential of what they can achieve together,” Graf said last week.

The Caps will be on the rise, for sure.

But let’s not forget dual and reigning champion Bendigo hasn’t done too badly either on the recruiting front, picking up multiple Olympian and dual-WNBL Championship winner Belinda Snell.

That’s with Kelsey Griffin and Gabe Richards already signed back up and while Kristi Harrower considers her future, Leilani Mitchell now is a free agent.

Dandenong has still to announce it has regained Cambage but it will and she will make a huge difference to the Rangers.

Kath Macleod’s return from a season off with pregnancy – that’s what made playmaker Mitchell no longer a key retention – and Monica Wright’s return from the WNBA means the Rangers also clearly will be in the mix.

Up north, Townsville is fired up about going one better after being the Spirit’s bridesmaid these past two seasons.

The core of Suzy Batkovic, Rachael McCully, Steph Cumming, Mia Newley, Micaela Cocks, Rosie Fadljevic and 2014 Rookie of the Year Alex Wilson all return but wait, there’s more.

Coach Chris Lucas has swapped Cayla Francis for Kayla Standish and also has picked up Tall Ferns Olympian Jillian Harmon and Kate Gaze.

Harmon had four years at Stanford University and was a 2008 Olympian who has been playing professionally in Europe.

That’s also where Francis has been enjoying her winters after leaving the Lightning and Thunder of the WNBL.

Gaze has clocked four years up at St Mary’s in the US.

Guy Molloy did such a great job last season with Melbourne Boomers that it’s no huge surprise more tyros such as Nat Burton (West Coast) and Olivia Thompson (Townsville) have jumped aboard for the 2014-15 joyride.

Having Rachel Jarry for the full season back alongside Tess Madgen and Bec Allen can’t hurt either.

The race for the top four should be a gem, Adelaide still with some work to do.

The Lightning have Alex Bunton (Caps) and Emma Langford (Thunder) joining Angela Marino but otherwise there are not too many bells ringing in the city of churches.

Sydney’s key retentions are Kate-Rae Ebzery and Ro Cox, with Karen Dalton apparently tearing up her lifetime coaching contract at the Flames to take on the General Manager role.

After 14 seasons as coach and one WNBL Championship – in her mid-season 2001 debut with the title-winning team and system Tom Maher handed to her on a platter – Dalton now will be in the front office.

Not sure how thrilling it would be to follow her into the role – lose a few in a row and the GM might start getting itchy to coach again – but having a fresh face with new ideas can only be a positive for a team which has chased its tail for at least six years.