Canberra star Marianna Tolo has vowed to ''get selfish'' and shoulder a huge offensive workload when the Capitals seek to reignite their season in Townsville tonight.

Capitals coach Carrie Graf has demanded the centre step up her aggression and accept more shooting responsibility against the Fire.

The seven-time champions are winless after three games this season, and lost 72-60 at home to Townsville last week.

Opals centre Tolo is hellbent on grabbing tonight's game by the scruff of the neck.

''Graffy is on me at the moment about scoring and taking my shots,'' Tolo said. ''I've got to make sure that's more of a focus, to be more selfish in that respect.

''I'm trying to be aggressive and making sure I do that bit extra, to go and get the ball instead of waiting for it to come to me.''

Tolo's best performance of the season so far was against Dandenong in round one, when she scored 18 points.

However, Townsville shut her down last week, restricting the 22-year-old to six points after she failed to score in the first half.

Tolo savaged an undersized Fire line-up late last season, racking up 29 points and 16 rebounds.

Last week she managed only seven shots when Townsville's American recruits Shanavia Dowdell and Vivian Frieson wore her like a glove.

The Fire is on top of the WNBL with a 3-0 record, and will not make it easy for Canberra to emerge from its slump.

''On the weekend [the Fire] didn't trap me as much, and the weekend before [against Bulleen and Dandenong] they did,'' Tolo said.

''It's about me making those adjustment during the game, just being aware of what the defence is doing.''

Graf urged Tolo to use her inside presence more often and concentrate less on bringing teammates into the game.

''It's just her mindset. She had good focus and was attacking against Dandenong, but gave up too many opportunities in the Townsville game,'' Graf said.

''She threw the ball out when we needed her to score, and she's got to make her two-foot shots.

''She's great close to the basket, it's a matter of converting those. She's a paid professional basketballer that's very talented and the expectation is that she performs for us.''

 

Graf said the club's established players, particularly Jess Bibby, Carly Wilson, Nicole Hunt and Tolo, must step up this weekend.

''We chatted about that as a leadership group, it's up to them,'' Graf said.

''They're our key players and have been here the longest, it does fall on their shoulders.

''They are four people we need to rely on heavily while we're growing new people into our system.''

Canberra takes on Logan on Sunday, which has won both its matches this season.