University of Canberra Capitals are an Australian professional women's basketball team competing in the Women's National Basketball League.
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30 Facts About Canberra Capitals
2.
In 2014 the University of Canberra Union took control of the Capitals from Basketball ACT.
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3.
The University of Canberra is the current naming rights sponsor for the Capitals.
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4.
Since that time the Canberra Capitals have remained a perennial force in the WNBL despite the significant turnover in playing personnel over the past 20 seasons.
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5.
Unfortunately the Canberra Capitals were unable to find stability with the rest of the team and were unable to replicate their form from the previous season.
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6.
Canberra Capitals hired Jerry Lee as their head coach for the 1994 season, hoping to replicate their finals experience two years earlier.
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7.
Canberra Capitals started the 1995 season with a new coach, Michelle Wall.
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9.
Canberra Capitals improved in 1997 narrowly missing out on a finals spot.
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10.
Canberra Capitals lost their three leading scorers, Fiona Robinson, Tanya Haave and Kerryn Owens for the 1998 season.
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11.
The win gave coach Carrie Graf a fitting farewell as she left the Canberra Capitals to concentrate on establishing a WNBA coaching career.
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12.
The Canberra Capitals were included in Group B of the competition, alongside EuroLeague runners-up US Valenciennes, ANSO Volgaburmash Samara and Mambas de Mozambique.
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13.
The Canberra Capitals had another blow with point guard Kristen Veal deciding to quit the WNBL before the season started, citing a loss of passion for the game.
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14.
Thankfully the Canberra Capitals had already coaxed veteran centre Jenny Whittle out of retirement and had picked up 18-year-old New Zealand point guard Angela Marino from the local Adelaide competition.
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15.
When Veal confirmed that she was no longer playing in the WNBL, the Canberra Capitals managed to snare point guard Tully Bevilaqua from the Indiana Fever in the WNBA.
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16.
Three Canberra Capitals players made it into the honorary team: Lauren Jackson; Shellie Sandie; Jenny Cheesman as well as coach Tom Maher.
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17.
The Canberra Capitals did however sign guard Jess Bibby from Dandenong and forward Abby Bishop from the AIS to complement the core group of Beatty, Abrams, Sharp and Bevilaqua.
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18.
Canberra Capitals had a further boost in April 2009 with coach Carrie Graf extending her contract for a further 4 seasons after being appointed as the Australian Opals head coach.
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19.
Canberra Capitals was assisted by Michelle Musselwhite who top scored for the Capitals with 13 points, forward Abby Bishop and centre Marianna Tolo who starred off the bench with 12 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocked shots.
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20.
The return of Bishop and Jackson to the Canberra Capitals lineup saw the release of Jess McCormack who struggled to make an impact in her time on court.
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22.
Forward Abby Bishop left the Canberra Capitals to join the Dandenong Rangers on a one-year deal after failing to secure a contract with a European club.
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23.
The club secured Canberra Capitals born point guard Alison Lacey and Dandenong backup point guard Nicole Hunt on a one-year deals to replace Hurst.
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25.
An intense recruiting effort saw the Canberra Capitals signing Kelly Wilson from Townsville, Kelsey Griffin from Bendigo, Kristy Wallace from the Baylor Lady Bears basketball, and Opals Marianna Tolo and Leilani Mitchell.
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26.
Canberra Capitals was joined on the coaching bench by Phil Brown, a veteran development coach who helped over 30 players become Olympians, including Lauren Jackson, and Penny Taylor, and Bec Goddard, an Australian football coach who had led the Adelaide Crows to the AFLW premiership in 2017, but had returned to Canberra to coach the Canberra Demons in the NEAFL.
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27.
The regular season ended with the Canberra Capitals winning nine games in a row, and the Canberra Capitals finished on top of the ladder.
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28.
Canberra Capitals went on to win the first game of the Grand Final series by a slender two points, and then, in front of a home town crowd at the AIS arena, fought their way back from a ten-point deficit to claim their ninth WNBL title.
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29.
Canberra Capitals was presented with the medal by Lauren Jackson before the first semi-final match.
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30.
Canberra Capitals have had 10 head coaches since their WNBL inception in 1986:.
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