Basketball Australia is saddened to learn of the passing of Norma Connolly OAM and acknowledges her enormous contribution to the game, as well as to the broader community.
Connolly was inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Queensland Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025, following a lifetime of contributions to basketball at both state and national level.
Norma made a considerable impact as a coach, leading Queensland’s Under 16 and Under 18 women’s teams from 1973 to 1989. Her name is emblazoned on the women’s championship trophy for the Foot Locker Under 16 National Championships.
Connolly was also involved with the national program, managing the Under 19 Gems during an incredible period of success that included one gold and one silver medal across the 1993, 1997 and 2001 FIBA Under 19 Women’s World Championships.
Her impact was also significant in North Queensland, where she served as Regional Director of Coaching from 1990 to 2000. During this period, she held roles including Head Coach of the North Queensland National Development Program in 1990, Head Coach of the Queensland Academy of Sport Townsville Sunbirds in the Queensland State League, and a founding head coach role within the region.
Prior to her coaching career, Norma starred as a player for Queensland in the 1960s and represented the state at the Australian Championships in 1963 and 1964.
Her husband, Jim Connolly, was also a Queensland Basketball Hall of Fame inductee in 2014.
Our thoughts are with Norma’s family, as well as the Queensland and Australian basketball communities who are feeling the impact of her loss.
Vale Norma Connolly OAM
