Last-Tear Poa sparks Sun Devils in return from injury

• Freshman fire in week one of NCAA women's basketball
• Australia's versatile Gem a step closer to US college dream
• Every Australian in NCAAW basketball in season 2025-26

With two weeks of the NCAA basketball season done and dusted, those that entered the transfer portal over the offseason have begun to really settle into their new environments.

With more than a dozen Australian women finding new homes, let’s check in with how they’re tracking in season 2025-26.

Lily Carmody (Sophomore) - Boston College

Having made the move from Butler to Boston College, Lily Carmody has given the Eagles a massive boost, leading the team in scoring (15.8 points per game) and second across rebounds (4.3 per game), assists (2.3 per game) and steals (1.3 per game).

Carmody has been super consistent through six games, scoring in double figures in all bar one of those games. Matching that consistency is her efficiency with Carmody making the most of her touches, shooting 54.5% from the field and 43.8% from deep, while also getting to the free throw line six times per game.

In her most recent outing, Carmody set a new career-high with 22 points in an overtime loss to Harvard. After starting the season 3-1, the Eagles have lost two in a row to sit at 3-3.

Last-Tear Poa (Senior) - Arizona State

After a great Sun Devil debut (career-high 10 assists) for Last-Tear Poa, she was sidelined for two games with a hand injury, but returned to action earlier this week as Arizona State earned a hard-fought win over Santa Clara.

She was instrumental in the win over the Broncos, getting to the line and setting up her teammates, as well as playing that signature dogged defence we all know Poa for. She finished with 14 points, five assists, five rebounds and two steals in 31 minutes.

After coming off the bench for the majority of her three years with LSU, Poa is relishing the extra minutes she’s earning at Arizona State, and while she did come off the bench in her return game against Santa Clara, expect to see her re-inserted into the starting line-up sooner rather than later.

Mia Jacobs (Senior) - Oregon

The Ducks are 5-0 and Mia Jacobs has been leading the way for her new squad. She hasn’t missed a beat since transferring from Fresno State and her aggressiveness has been key, seeing her get to the line over five times per game, while shooting 92.3% on free throws.

Against Washington State earlier this week, Jacobs lit it up from deep, hitting 5-from-8 from beyond the arc to finish with 20 points as the Ducks ran out 86-59 winners.

Tess Heal (Senior) - Kansas State

After a somewhat slow start to the season, Tess Heal has found her groove with Kansas State over the past week and is looking more comfortable with each passing game.

Over the past three games, Heal is averaging 12 points and six rebounds per game, and while there were two nail-biting losses in that run, the Wildcats bounced back against Troy earlier this week with an 81-59 win.

With her third team in three years, Heal has earned a starting backcourt role at Kansas State after getting eight starts in 30 games last season with Stanford.

Jada Crawshaw (Junior) - Georgia Tech

Jada Crawshaw is adjusting to life in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) nicely, earning more minutes in the second week of the season. After playing 11 minutes in each of the first two games, in the three games since she has averaged more than 20 minutes of playing time.

She delivered an efficient 11 points (5-from-7 FG), eight rebounds and two blocks in a tight win, 68-60, over West Georgia in the Yellow Jackets’ most recent game.

Making the move from Long Beach State to Georgia Tech is a great challenge for Crawshaw, and so far, she looks like she’s up for the battle!

Zoe Shaw (Sophomore) - UC Santa Barbara

As a sophomore guard, Zoe Shaw has made an instant impact for UC Santa Barbara, and with the Gauchos on a three-game winning streak and sitting at 4-1 overall, Shaw has got to be enjoying life after experiencing just six wins in her freshman season with St Bonaventure.

Despite those losses, Shaw was impressive and she’s continued to build since making the move to UC Santa Barbara. While starting every game so far, Shaw is shooting 39% from deep and was vital in the Gauchos win over Grand Canyon earlier this week, hitting 3-from-4 from deep to finish with a team-high 17 points in the back-and-forth 72-70 win.

Ella Brow (Senior) - Baylor University

Unfortunately, Ella Brow’s senior year has been hindered by injury so far. She hasn’t suited up for Baylor yet, having suffered a lower leg injury during preseason.

The seventh ranked team in the nation, Baylor – who lost to 19th ranked Iowa yesterday – could really use Brow’s playmaking and scoring ability, so hopefully we see her back on the court shortly.

Lizzy Williamson (Senior) - Oregon State

In her sixth season of college basketball, Lizzy Williamson is a key figure off bench for Oregon State. After playing in just 24 games across two seasons with NC State, Williamson is averaging 15 minutes per game for the 4-0 Beavers and has scored in double figures twice.

There are four sophomores who found new homes through the transfer portal and while they aren’t playing big minutes, they’re continuing their respective college journeys.

Georgia Cox made the move from Eastern Illinois to Evansville and recorded 11 points, five rebounds and two blocks in their season-opener. Jemma Amoore (IU Indianapolis) and Jaime Gallatly (Cal State Bakersfield) have played sparingly in a handful of games each, while Alice Dart (Buffalo) is yet to make her debut for the Bulls.

About the Author

Hayley Wildes is passionate about all things Australian women’s basketball and loves to highlight the stories of players from all levels and competitions across the globe. From our own backyard in the WNBL, to the WNBA and the Opals, and everything in between, Hayley has you covered.