Amanda Jones
15 July 2016: The University of Canberra Capitals have added basketball royalty to the roster for the 2016/17 WNBL season with guard Kate Gaze joining the club on a one-year deal.
The 26-year-old, who comes off back-to-back championships with the Townsville Fire, is the second cousin of Australian basketball legend and Sydney Kings head coach Andrew Gaze.
Her father played in the NBL, her mother was a WNBL champion and her grandfather was a former Australian Opals coach.
"I'm lucky to come from such a great basketball family. I'm inspired to be like them, but at the same time I'm keen to make my own mark on the Gaze name," she said.
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Kate Gaze will play for the UC Capitals this season. Photo: Ben Southall.
After two successful seasons up north, Gaze said the offer to join the UC Capitals and extend her time on the court was too good to refuse.
"The opportunity that Canberra presents is huge, bringing together a new team, playing for well-known and respected coach Paul Goriss and reconnecting with players like Marianna Tolo whom I played with at the AIS," Gaze said.
"I've been working hard on my game in the off season and I'm really excited to join the University of Canberra Capitals."
Gaze spent five years playing college basketball for Saint Mary's College in California before joining the Townsville Fire in the WNBL in 2014, where she continued the Gaze legacy, taking home two championships. She is currently playing for Logan Thunder in the QBL and is averaging 26 points a game.
University of Canberra Capitals head coach Paul Goriss said the addition of Gaze to the team adds depth to the playing roster.
"Kate has a tremendous amount of experience and her ability to make the shots from anywhere on the court will help our perimeter game," Goriss said.
"She knows what it takes to win championships and together with our other guards gives us a very strong back court presence."
