Carrie Graf

Carrie Graf
Carrie Graf at a national team training camp
Biographical details
Born (1967-06-23) 23 June 1967 (age 57)
Accomplishments and honors
Awards

Carrie Ann Graf AM (born 23 June 1967) is an Australian basketball coach. She competed in the WNBL as a player starting during 1983–1989, after which she attended RMIT. Graf has coached teams in the WNBL, WNBA and Australia's national team, and has been honoured for her contribution to basketball coaching.

Early life and education

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After having earned a diploma of coaching from the Australian Coaching Council in 1991,[1] Graf attended RMIT in Melbourne, Victoria, where she earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Physical Education in 1992.[2][3] She has several hobbies including listening to music and cooking.[1]

Player

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Graff started her professional basketball career as a 15-year-old with the Nunawading Spectres in the WNBL.[1][3] In her first year of a seven-year stint with the Spectres from 1983 until 1989, she was named the Rookie of the Year and competed in the league Championships.[1] She also played on the team for RMIT when she was a student there.[3]

Coaching

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Graff, in white, walks in front of the scoring table during a Capitals game

Graf has coached women's basketball for over 30 years.[2]

WNBL

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In 2007 and 2008, Graf was named the WNBL Coach of the Year.[2] As of 2010, she holds the most records in the WNBL for coaching wins, with over 200.[2]

Sydney Flames

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From 1993 to 1996, Graf coached the Sydney Flames.[4] In 1993 and 1996, her teams finished first, and had only one loss alongside seventeen wins.[4]

Canberra Capitals

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Graf coached the Canberra Capitals from 1999 to 2016, across 15 seasons, excluding 2002 and 2004 during which she was coaching Phoenix Mercury in the NBA.[2][4][5] She coached the team to win six titles in the WNBL Championship, including the 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010 seasons.[2][5]

WNBA

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In 2004 and 2005, Graf coached Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA.[3] Prior to holding that position, she was an assistant coach with the team for four years[3] in 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2003.[1] She did not coach during the 2000 season because of her commitments to the Australian national team.[1]

National team

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Lauren Jackson, Jenna O'Hea and Carrie Graf at a 14 May 2012 press conference at the Australian Institute of Sport
Graf during a game between the Capitals and Logan Thunder at AIS Arena

Graf was an assistant coach for the national team that competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics, when the team won a bronze medal[2] and when the team won a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics.[2] Graf became the coach of the Australia women's national basketball team in December 2008.[2] In 2009, she coached the Australian side that won the FIBA Oceania Championship.[2] Graf resigned as coach of the women's national team in 2013 after four years.[6]

Graf coached the Australian side that competed in and won the women's basketball competition at the 2007 World University Games.[2] She led the Uniroos team, the Australian delegates, at the 2021 World University Games.[7]

University coaching

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In December 2017, Graf joined the University of Canberra in the newly created position of Director of Sport.[8][9] She had previously been the university's first coach in residence in 2013, which included mentoring programs and conducting lectures, as part of the university's sport studies program, as an associate professor.[5]

Television

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Graf has been a commentator for the WNBL since 2021.[10][11][8]

Recognition

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In 1996, the Australian Coaching Council awarded Graf with the High Performance Coach Award and Young Coach of the Year Award.[1] In 2000, Graf was honoured with being given an Australian Sports Medal for service to basketball.[2] She has also been honoured by being named a life member of the WNBL in 2006.[2] ACTsport named her the Sportsperson of the year in 2008.[2]

At the 2015 Australia Day Honours, Carrie was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for her significant service to basketball, particularly as a coach, mentor and athlete, and to the community.[12] In 2017, she was inducted into the Basketball Australia Hall of Fame.[13] Graf was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 in recognition of her results at the 2000 Olympics.[14]

In 2024, inducted into ACT Sport Hall of Fame as Associate Member.[15]

Personal life

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Graf has been in a relationship with her partner Camille Chicheportiche, a former federal agent, since 2007 and lives in Ainslie, Canberra.[16] They have three children.[17] Chicheportiche also appeared in the second season of the Australian version of The Traitors.[18]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Coaches". WNBA.com. 13 April 2004. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Canberra Capitals: Carrie Graf". WNBL.com.au. Archived from the original on 22 July 2008. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e "RMIT Alumni – Alumni Profile – Carrie Graf". Alumni.rmit.edu.au. Archived from the original on 29 September 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  4. ^ a b c "Carrie Graf" (PDF). Canberra Capitals Media Guide 2010-2011. Canberra, Australia: Canberra Capitals: 58. October 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 March 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  5. ^ a b c "Canberra Capitals: Coach Carrie Graf bids farewell after 15 seasons, six titles". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  6. ^ Tuxworth, Jon (14 February 2013). "Graf sticks with Capitals, leaving Opals". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  7. ^ "Carrie Graf to lead Australian Uniroos in Chengdu" (Press release). UniSport. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Carrie Graff Biography". She Hoops. Basketball Australia. 26 April 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  9. ^ Dutton, Chris (14 December 2017). "WNBL's most successful coach Carrie Graf joins University of Canberra to boost Capitals". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  10. ^ WNBL News (3 December 2021). "Experts Set to Call the Action". WNBL. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  11. ^ WNBL News (27 October 2022). "Cygnett WNBL 22-23 Season Launch". WNBL. Cygnett WNBL. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  12. ^ "Member (AM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division" (PDF). Official Secretary to the Governor-General of Australia. 26 January 2015. p. 37. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 January 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  13. ^ Dutton, Chris (25 October 2017). "Former Capitals coach Carrie Graf dreams big for women's sport after hall of fame nod". The Canberra Times. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  14. ^ "Carrie Ann Graf". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 13 September 2000. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  15. ^ CityNews (18 November 2024). "Four new faces in ACT Sports Hall of Fame". Canberra CityNews. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  16. ^ Wilson, Chris (4 October 2013). "Carrie Graf opens up on her sexuality and being a new mother to twins". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  17. ^ McIlroy, Tom (15 November 2017). "'Diversity is a wonderful thing': Carrie Graf celebrates marriage survey result". The Canberra Times. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  18. ^ Curry, Georgia (2 August 2023). "Former AFP federal agent signs up to 'The Traitors'". The Canberra Weekly. Newstime Media. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
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