Chantel Horvat’s international journey comes full circle with the Canberra Capitals

Chantel Horvat is back home in Australia, and set to make her WNBL debut with the Canberra Capitals.

Image credit: FIBA

Basketball has taken Chantel Horvat all over the globe, from the USA to all corners of Europe. Now, she is set to return home to Australia and suit up for the University of Canberra Capitals in the upcoming WNBL 2024/25 season.

It’s a homecoming of sorts for Horvat, who returns to Canberra having lived there when she was at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) —which is based at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS)— prior to college, and also has family ties to the region.

“I’ve spent a lot of time in Canberra because my mum is actually from the area,” Horvat said. “Even before I moved up there to the AIS, I spent time up there. It does feel like a second home, so I'm excited to reconnect with Canberra.”

She’ll also be reuniting with coach Paul Goriss, who was a coach at the CoE when Horvat attended. That connection with Goriss also played a role in her signing with the Capitals.

“That was part of the reason it was a good move for me as well,” she said. “I enjoyed playing under him at the CoE and I'm really excited for how he wants to play with this team that he's put together. When we were chatting about the opportunity, the way he wanted to play and how he wanted to utilise me as a player, it got me really excited.

“We have a very versatile, fast and athletic team which is exciting.”