AUS - Carrie Graf named as new Opals coach

SYDNEY (National team) - Basketball Australia is proud to announce that Carrie Graf has been appointed Head Coach of the World Champion Australian women's basketball team.

Graf will lead the Opals through the 2010 FIBA World Championship for women, to be held in the Czech Republic, and the 2012 Olympic Games in London as part of her four year appointment.

Currently Head Coach of the ladder-leading Canberra Capitals in the ADF Women's National Basketball League (WNBL), Graf was named WNBL Coach of the Year in 2007 and 2008. She has won five WNBL Championships as Head Coach and 5 as a player.

"It's no secret that Carrie has wanted the Opals head coaching job for some time and it gives us great pleasure to announce that her time has come," said Basketball Australia Chief Executive Scott Derwin.

"The Opals have achieved great success over the past decade and we expect that tradition to continue under Carrie's leadership."

Graf takes over from Jan Stirling AM, who stepped down from the Opals Head Coach position after the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, where Australia won a Silver Medal.

The Opals won Gold Medals at the 2006 FIBA World Championship and 2006 Commonwealth Games and achieved two Olympic Silver Medals under Stirling's leadership, but the United States continues be the Opals' nemesis.

"Overcoming the might of the USA at World Championship and Olympic competition will be our main challenge," Graf said.

"However, with strong leadership focused on building team unity in an effort to overcome a more talented opponent at the critical time, it is do-able.

"We must and will find ways to win."

Further information:

Graf led the Australian Universities women's basketball team as Head Coach to a Gold Medal at the World Uni Games in Bangkok in 2007.

Graf began her ADF WNBL coaching career with a championship victory in her first season with the Sydney Flames in 1993. She coached the Flames for 4 seasons, until February 1997.

Graf surpassed Tom Maher's coaching mark for total wins when Canberra won their opening game of the 2008/09 ADF WNBL season in October; her WNBL career coaching record now standing at 193 wins and 63 losses from 256 games, ahead of Maher's 182 wins and 55 losses.

Graf was the Opals Assistant Coach at the 1996 Olympic Games (Atlanta; Bronze), 1998 FIBA World Championship (Germany; Bronze) and 2000 Olympic Games (Sydney; Silver).

After victory with Sydney in 1993, Graf moved to the Capitals in 1999 and led them to four championships in the 1999/00, 2001/02, 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons.

In 2003 and 2004 Graf was Head Coach of the New Zealand women's basketball team, the Tall Ferns, before becoming Head Coach of WNBA team Phoenix Mercury for two seasons until 2005.

Graf was awarded life membership of the ADF WNBL in 2006 for her outstanding contribution to basketball as both a player and coach.

Graf played 104 WNBL games for Nunawading (VIC) and Melbourne between 1983 and 1992, winning Championships in 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987 and 1988.

FIBA