Jade Melbourne agrees to return to the UC Capitals for 2025/26 WNBL season
Caps fans can all breathe – Jade’s staying in Canberra!
Jade has agreed to stay in Canberra next season, extending her stay with the only WNBL team she has played for since her rookie season in 2021.
During her time with the Caps, Jade has rapidly developed into one of the brightest stars in Australian basketball. This season she averaged 15.7 points (6th in WNBL), 6.8 assists (1st in WNBL) and 2 steals (3rd in WNBL) in yet another highlight-filled campaign which included a career-high 40-point effort against title favourites Bendigo in the team’s final game.
In the WNBL and the Caps’ post season awards, Jade was named the league’s Fan MVP and named to the All-WNBL Second team, and she was named the Capitals MVP for the third year in a row. This caps off a banner year for Jade which saw her establish herself with the Washington Mystics and win the bronze medal with the Opals in Paris 2024.
Jade expressed her desire to bring success back to Canberra as the main reason behind her decision to stay on for next season.
“Canberra loves winning. We get to look at nine banners at the end of the court at every game, every practice, and that’s the thing that keeps me coming back,” she said.
“I want to add to that. I’ve been here for five years, I absolutely love it here, I love the franchise, the people involved, the community, the fans. Getting back to the finals is something that drives me every day and that is what keeps me around – I want to be part of the 10th banner. Canberra is home, and I just can’t picture myself playing for another franchise.”
Returning Head Coach Paul Gorris shared his excitement about Jade’s re-signing, as he looks forward to push the team further alongside the star guard.
“Her vision and mine align. She wants to win and there’s no doubt she wants to do it in Canberra. She wants to be one of those players that gets to hang that banner for the club, and she has put a lot of time and a lot of effort into being a Capital and building this program again,” he said
“She is the cornerstone; she is the face of the franchise.”
UC Director of Sport Carrie Graf says that Jade’s decision to stay with the Caps highlights the bright future ahead for the franchise.
“She is already an icon of the league. She wants to stay in love with us, and we want to stay in love with her. This is her hoop home,” she said.
“We have some of the best young players in the competition on this team. The venue is good, the game presentation is great, it’s a great city to live in, we have a great coach, and we’re rebuilding the winning culture – we have a lot of good things going for us.”