Injured basketball superstar Lauren Jackson is expected to resume playing inside the first month of the new WNBL season which starts on Friday.
The 34-year-old Canberra centre is one of several big name players who will sit out the opening round.
Knee problems limited Jackson to half a dozen WNBL games in 2014-15 and ruled her out of the current US-based WNBA season.
"She's confident she will be on court in the first month of the season," Capitals' coach Carrie Graf told AAP on Thursday.
Graf goes into the season without three starters and with last season's league MVP and Opals forward Abby Bishop on reduced minutes due to a hamstring issue.
Another Opal, Hanna Zavecz, will at least miss Canberra's first game with a rib injury.
The Caps will also be without the competition's best-credentialled new import - former WNBA All Star point guard Renee Montgomery, whose Minnesota Lynx side are still involved in the WNBA finals.
She might not be available until round three.
New team SEQ Stars start life without two of their top recruits, Opals stars Erin Phillips and Bec Allen.
Two-time WNBA title-winner and point guard Phillips sat out the last six weeks of the WNBA season with a knee injury and Stars coach Shane Heal isn't sure when she will return.
Allen also suffered a knee injury during the WNBA season and is expected to miss at least the first six weeks of the WNBL, which is still to secure a TV deal.
"I'm happy with the team we've put together, the biggest problem we've got right now is injuries," said former Boomers star Heal, whose Logan-based Stars play the first match of the season at Bendigo on Friday.
Townsville have lost retired former captain Rachael McCully, but have picked up Canadian international forward Tamara Tatham.
"They've done particularly well over six weeks in pre-season and we're pretty happy with where we're at, at the moment," Fire coach Chris Lucas said.
It's a new era at Bendigo with inaugural Spirit coach Bernie Harrower replaced by Simon Pritchard and financial cutbacks potentially bringing the 2013 and 14 champions back to the field.
Dandenong have lost superstars Penny Taylor and Cappie Pondexter while recruit Kathleen MacLeod is unavailable due to pregnancy, but they have welcomed back several former players.
Melbourne have retooled their roster, with Opals Maddie Garrick, Elyse Penaluna and Alice Kunek and import Brittany Smart among the newcomers.
Sydney lost Leilani Mitchell and Mikaela Ruef to Adelaide but have signed a couple of well-credentialled imports.
Perennial battlers Perth have also overhauled their roster.
"I think Townsville, everyone would say are the title favourites from the get go," Graf said.
"Adelaide may struggle a little bit after nearly going under and getting a roster together late with a lot of young players.
"The rest of the teams, it's going to be really interesting who can get a good start, who stays injury free."
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