 Graf at a national team training camp | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1967-06-23)23 June 1967 (age 58) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
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Carrie Ann GrafAM (born 23 June 1967) is an Australian basketball coach. She competed in theWNBL as a player starting during 1983–1989, after which she attendedRMIT. Graf has coached teams in the WNBL,WNBA andAustralia's national team, and has been honoured for her contribution to basketball coaching.
After having earned a diploma of coaching from theAustralian Coaching Council in 1991,[1] Graf attendedRMIT inMelbourne,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]
Graff started her professional basketball career as a 15-year-old with theNunawading 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]
Graf has coached women's basketball for over 30 years.[2]
In 2007 and 2008, Graf was named theWNBL Coach of the Year.[2] As of 2010, she holds the most records in the WNBL for coaching wins, with over 200.[2]
From 1993 to 1996, Graf coached theSydney Flames.[4] In 1993 and 1996, her teams finished first, and had only one loss alongside seventeen wins.[4]
Graf coached theCanberra Capitals from 1999 to 2016, across 15 seasons, excluding 2002 and 2004 during which she was coachingPhoenix Mercury in theNBA.[2][4][5] She coached the team to win six titles in the WNBL Championship, including the2000,2002,2006,2007,2009 and2010 seasons.[2][5]
In 2004 and 2005, Graf coachedPhoenix Mercury in theWNBA.[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]
Graf was an assistant coach for the national team that competed at the1996 Summer Olympics, when the team won a bronze medal[2] and when the team won a silver medal at the2000 Summer Olympics.[2] Graf became the coach of theAustralia 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 thewomen's basketball competition at the2007 World University Games.[2] She led the Uniroos team, the Australian delegates, at the2021 World University Games.[7]
In December 2017, Graf joined theUniversity 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]
Graf has been a commentator for theWNBL since 2021.[10][11][8]
In 1996, theAustralian 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 anAustralian 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 the2015 Australia Day Honours, Carrie was appointed a Member of theOrder 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 theBasketball Australia Hall of Fame.[13] Graf was awarded theAustralian Sports Medal in 2000 in recognition of her results at the 2000 Olympics.[14]
In 2024, inducted intoACT Sport Hall of Fame as Associate Member.[15]
Graf ended a relationship with her partner, a formerfederal agent, and lives inAinslie,Canberra.[16] They have three children.[17] Graf’s ex also appeared in thesecond season of theAustralian version ofThe Traitors.[18]
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