University of Canberra Capitals | |
---|---|
Founded | 1984 |
History |
University of Canberra Capitals 1984–present |
Stadium | Southern Cross Stadium AIS Arena Canberra, ACT Australia |
Team colours |
Home: Navy/Teal/Gold Away: White/Navy/Gold |
CEO | Joe Roff |
Team manager | Barb Lodding |
Head coach | Paul Gorris |
Assistant(s) | Reece Potter & Peta Sinclair |
Ownership | University of Canberra Union |
Championships | 7 (2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010) |
The University of Canberra Capitals are an Australian professional women's basketball team competing in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). The team is based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. In 2014 the University of Canberra Union took control of the Capitals from Basketball ACT. The University of Canberra is the current naming rights sponsor for the Capitals.
Founded in 1984, the Capitals first competed in the WNBL in the 1986 season after winning the Australian Women’s Basketball Conference in 1985. After struggling to make an impact on the competition for more than a decade, the club became one of the dominant teams in the Australian WNBL competition in 1999, due in part to the ascension of one of the greatest female players in the world Lauren Jackson and coach Carrie Graf. They have won the WNBL Grand Final in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010 and were runners up in 2001 and 2011.
After 13 seasons of struggle at the bottom end of the WNBL table, the Capitals qualified for the WNBL Grand Final for the first time in the 1999/00 season, defeating the Adelaide Lightning in South Australia. Since that time the Capitals have remained a perennial force in the WNBL despite the significant turnover in playing personnel over the past 15 seasons.
The Capitals have competed in 9 Grand Finals, winning 7 (both WNBL records):
In 1992 the Canberra City Group Capitals made the WNBL finals for the first time since their inception in 1984. The team finished 4th in the 11 team competition under coach Jerry Lee, with an 11-9 win/loss record. Jodie Murphy was named the top shooter in the WNBL for the season with 17.9 ppg and also made the WNBL All Star Five alongside Michelle Timms (Perth Breakers), Allison Cook (Melbourne Tigers), Michelle Brogan (Adelaide City) and Rachael Sporn (Adelaide City). Shooting guard Narelle Fletcher also ranked 3rd in the league in 3 point percentage, shooting 37% for the season (27/73). The team was knocked out in the Preliminary Final by the 3rd placed Dandenong Rangers 75-65 (J. Murphy 23 pts, K. Tominac 13).