“I just want to win. I love winning so I want to win games and win a championship.” The Canberra Capitals are welcoming Rae Burrell to the team, reports sport columnist SIMON ANDERSON.

PRESEASON is something every sports person approaches differently. Some people thrive under the intense training, readying themselves for the start of competition, while others loathe the sight of the trainers waiting to put them through their paces.

When she touches down in Canberra this month, new Capitals’ signing Rae Burrell will be among the former, particularly given the year she has had, full of ups-and-downs.

In April, Burrell realised a dream when she was selected by the Los Angeles Sparks as the ninth pick of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). The first-round selection came after Burrell excelled with the University of Tennessee under head coach Kellie Harper.

At the time Harper credited Burrell’s work ethic as the reason for her going so high in the draft.

“She is a physically-gifted player with a high motor who worked very hard to put herself in position to be selected in the WNBA Draft,” Harper said at the time. 

“She is an intense competitor who had to overcome an unfortunate injury suffered early during her senior season. 

“We’re proud of the development Rae made during her time at Tennessee and look forward to watching her continue to blossom in her professional career.”

That blossoming professional career took a hit in May when she suffered a knee injury after playing just three games for the Sparks, ruling her out for the rest of the WNBA season.

She underwent surgery in May and is ready to make her return to the court in Canberra.

“I am super excited,” said Burrell. “I haven’t played in a couple of months, so I am excited to get back on the court and try and compete for a championship.

“I’ll be back and ready by the time I get out to Australia. It is feeling good, thank goodness, because it wasn’t for a minute before I got surgery, so I am just happy that it is feeling good again.”

Burrell will bring plenty to the Capitals’ squad despite the injury in her senior year at Tennessee, and this setback early in her WNBA career, which were both to the same knee. Missing game time in her first year as a professional has her hungry to get out and win in Canberra.

“I never got it fixed or anything, I just rehabbed and came back. I finally got it fixed when I went to the WNBA,” said Burrell.

“It was hard not playing but at least I got a feel for what the league was like, and I got to sit back and watch and see how everything was done and have an idea for when I come back next year.”

Knowing what she has been through already this year, Burrell is optimistic about how she can return from the injury.

“I just want to get back to how I was before, when I was 100 per cent healthy, and then get even better,” said Burrell.

“I’ll work on getting stronger because the league is against grown women, so I have got to make sure I can hold my own when I am out there. “And, honestly, I just want to win. I love winning so I want to win games and win a championship.”

The move to Canberra during the WNBA offseason is one that works well for Burrell, who always wanted to play abroad even after signing with the Sparks.

Seeing the success of one of the Capitals’ previous imports, Brittney Sykes, made the ACT an attractive option for Burrell.

Sykes was named the WNBL’s 2021-22 Robyn Maher Defensive Player of the Year last season. 

“I knew I wanted to go overseas, and my agency picked where they thought the best option would be for me coming off my injury,” said Burrell.

“They mentioned Australia and I saw that Sykes was there, so I am actually going to hang out with her and pick her brain a little bit. It just kind of happened, and it happened perfectly because I am ready to get back to playing.”

Burrell’s signing is a big coup for first-year head coach Kristen Veal, who is excited to see what the WNBA rookie can bring to the WNBL.

“We believe Rae will complement the Caps line-up this season and eat up every opportunity to win basketball games,” Veal said.

“Rae brings versatility, score power and a competitive focus that will see her win fans on and off the court. I’m looking forward to watching Rae find her rhythm with our exciting roster and showing the rest of the league, and the world that she is a force to be reckoned with.”