Alyssa Healy fears she may have taken the "wrong risk" not to play in Australia's T20 World Cup semi-final, but concedes it is exciting for cricket that her side won't lift the trophy.
The 34-year-old captain revealed after Thursday's crushing eight-wicket loss to South Africa in Dubai that she felt she had "one game in me" despite nursing a ruptured plantar fascia in her right foot.
But she took the gamble of sitting out the match in the hope she could still be fit should the team advance, as expected, to Sunday's final.
"It was a really hard decision to make last night as to whether or not we're going to give it a punt or not," Healy told reporters after Australia's unexpected dethronement.
"I tried to make the 'team decision' and sat myself down, instead of taking the risk."
Asked how close she had been to playing, she added: "I'm not sure. I don't really know. It's a hard one to answer.
"I mean, I ruptured my plantar fascia - completely ruptured one and partially ruptured the other.
"So it was just a matter of function and pain and what I could handle, and, ultimately, I probably only had one game in me, and probably took the wrong risk."
Healy remains unsure how long she will be sidelined, with the WBBL starting next month and a home multi-format Ashes series in January and February.
Injured quick Tayla Vlaeminck is one player already racing the clock for the Ashes, after being ruled out of the entire WBBL for the Melbourne Renegades after dislocated a shoulder.
Healy was adamant there were still positives for Australia, and that their first failed World Cup campaign in any format since 2017 did not define them.
"The prospect of potentially having a new winner of this tournament is hugely exciting for the world game," Healy said.
"The investment and the opportunities there is now to play cricket right around the world, different conditions and at all times of the year, I think, has done great things for the world game.
"We're seeing teams really benefit from that, which is awesome.
"So if it turns out to be a New Zealand-South Africa final it's going to be really cool to see a fresh winner of that trophy. We can just show how far this game's come."
