MIES (Switzerland) - The 2024-25 NCAA season has tipped off and there are many international players competing in the NCAA and making positive waves, having already excelled in FIBA national team tournaments.
We've reviewed the NCAA rosters and have picked out a selection of players in the College Game who have already showed their skills in FIBA events.
This is the third installment of the 30-player series, following an alphabetical order. The full resume and profile of each player is click-able, with their highlights included below.
Isla Juffermans (AUS) - Louisville
1st place - FIBA U18 Women's Asia Cup 2022 Division A 2022 (MVP) 1st place - FIBA U16 Women's Asia Cup 2021 Division A
The Australian frontcourt power used her size and strength in the paint to great effect at Continental level as she won a pair of titles - as well as competing at both the FIBA U17 and FIBA U19 Worlds with her country. Her numbers speak for themselves, with Juffermans averaging a tournament double-double at every one of her four FIBA youth tournaments - including 12.6 points and 10.76 rebounds at the FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup.
Now at Louisville for her Freshman season, it will be interesting to see how she goes in NCAA action as she comes up against opponents even bigger than she has previously faced on a regular basis. As she grows in the College game, those double-doubles should come and she is likely to be a force at the defensive end in particular.
Hailey Van Lith (USA) - TCU
1st place - FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2019 1st place - FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup 2018
One of the most instantly recognizable young ballers in the global game and helped by having 1.2 million Instagram followers, Van Lith is a double-gold medal winner on the FIBA youth stage. But she also gained huge recognition and success as a renowned 3x3 baller too. She played for the USA senior national side at two editions of the FIBA 3x3 World Cup, wining gold in Austria in 2023.
A colorful character, the guard played for three seasons with Louisville (helping them to a Final Four spot in 2022), transferred to LSU and is now at TCU. She is the only active Division One player with at least 1,900 career points, 500 rebounds and 350 assists. After a strong start to this season, she's looking back to her best after a tough 2023-24.
Cotie McMahon (USA) - Ohio State
1st place - FIBA Women's U19 Basketball World Cup 2023 1st place - FIBA U18 Women's Americup 2022 (All-Star Five)
The forward can reflect on a pair of golds for her country already at FIBA events and was particularly impactful and impressive when making the All-Star Five at U18 a couple of years ago. Also an accomplished 3x3 player, her mix of power and skill has seen her gain huge respect and is considered as a leading prospect for the WNBA draft in 2026.
Her NCAA performances during her first two seasons with the Buckeyes have underlined her potential to reach the very top of the game. Her recent 25-point haul against Illinois is typical of her influence and her Senior year is already shaping up to be her most productive yet.
Cassandre Prosper (CAN) - Notre Dame
Paris 2024 Women's Olympic Basketball Tournament 1st place - FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament Colombia 2023 3rd place - FIBA Women's AmeriCup 2023 3rd place - FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2023 FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup 2023 (All-Star Five) 2nd place - FIBA U16 Women's AmeriCup 2021 (All-Star Five)
Another Olympian on the list, Prosper did great things at youth level for Canada including gaining an All-Star Five spot at the FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup. This was a can-opener for her to be fast-tracked to senior action. It was her appearance at the FIBA Women's AmeriCup 2023 that really caught the eye when she grabbed another medal and showed she could compete with the pros.
Her NCAA career is still waiting to fully take-off with Notre Dame after her 2023-24 campaign was adversely impacted by an injury. But now back on track, she is averaging almost 30 minutes per game and ready to make up for some lost time.
Kira 'Kiki' Rice (USA) - UCLA
1st place - FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2023 1st place - FIBA U18 Women's AmeriCup 2022 (MVP) 1st place - FIBA U16 Women's AmeriCup 2019 A big talent, the guard was MVP of the FIBA U18 Women's AmeriCup and has won gold at the global level too. Not only at the U19 Worlds, but also at the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup. There was always a buzz around the potential of Rice and that was also seen when ranked as a five-star recruit coming into the College game.
Since stepping out for the Bruins, she has been impressively consistent, starting 36 of 37 games in her Freshman year and continuing to lead during her Sophomore season when she delivered only the 10th triple-double display in UCLA history. Now in her Senior year, she started the current campaign slowly, but has moved through the gears recently.
Merissah Russell (CAN) - Louisville
3rd place - FIBA Women's AmeriCup 2023 1st place - FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament Osaka, 2022 FIBA Women's AmeriCup 2021 2nd place - FIBA U16 Women's AmeriCup 2017
While having proudly played at both the FIBA U17 and FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cups, it is the senior action which Russell has been involved in which has been particularly impressive. Not least, having featured at two editions of the FIBA Women's AmeriCup, winning bronze in 2023. This firmly underlines her maturity on the court.
With Louisville, she has probably not had the level of impact you might expect for a baller competing at the elite level on the senior stage for her country. She has come off the bench during most of her NCAA career, yet this 2024-25 and final campaign could see the guard making her biggest splash to date.
Trinity San Antonio (PUR) - Grand Canyon State
Paris 2024 Women's Olympic Basketball Tournament FIBA Women's AmeriCup 2023 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022
One of only two ballers in the 30-strong list that have never played at a FIBA youth event, but only in senior competitions, San Antonio has caught the eye with her displays for Puerto Rico. Even though still at college she has a FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup on her resume and was arguably her team's best performer on her superb Olympic debut at Paris 2024.
Offering great energy alongside her guard skills, she played her Freshman and Sophomore years at California Baptist and is now in her second season with Grand Canyon University. Last year as a Junior she started in 28 games, led the side in scoring after shooting 45 percent from the floor and 33 percent from downtown, also making the All-WAC Defensive Team.
Clara Silva (POR) - Kentucky
FIBA U18 Women's EuroBasket 2024 (All-Star Five)
The Portuguese center has played in five different editions of various FIBA events in her young career and has almost always put up superb numbers. Her height and skills have been a potent mix and her All-Star Five effort of almost 19.0 points per game at the FIBA U18 Women's EuroBasket 2024 propelled Portugal to the U19 Worlds.
There's little doubt that in these coming years, the current Freshman will produce for Kentucky and that means more and more double-doubles as she moves through her NCAA career.
Syla Swords (CAN) - University of Michigan
Paris 2024 Women's Olympic Basketball Tournament FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament Hungary 2024 1st place - FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament Colombia 2023 3rd place - FIBA Women's AmeriCup 2023 3rd place - FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2023 An Olympian at just 18-years-old when she stepped out at Paris 2024, that came after also taking bronze with Canada at the FIBA Women's Americup 2023. Swords also starred at the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup in Madrid, playing a pivotal role in her nation hopping onto the last podium step.
A super smart guard who has revealed in being accelerated onto the senior FIBA stage, she has turned heads instantly with her Freshman performances at the University of Michigan. Not least when she recently harvested a stellar double-double of 27 points and 12 rebounds against the number one ranked South Carolina.
Mikaylah Williams (USA) - LSU
1st place - FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup 2022
Don't be thinking that Williams is a one-time winner at FIBA events with USA since she has been exceptional in 3x3 tournaments as well as landing that U17 Worlds gold. The talented guard led her country to three gold medals at the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup, being named MVP of each tournament from 2021 to 2023. That was instrumental in her being named USA Basketball 3x3 Athlete of the Year in 2022 and 3x3 Female Athlete of the Year in 2023.
In the NCAA with LSU she is now in her Sophomore year, having put together one of the best freshman seasons in program history, averaging 14.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game to earn SEC Freshman of the Year honors. One of the highlights was 42 points in her fourth game of her College career - the most scored by a LSU freshman in the NCAA era.
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