The Aussie women to light up college hoops

• List of Australian women playing in NCAA Division 1 in 2025-26
• Meet Australia's 2025-26 NCAAW Freshman class
• 11 fast facts about Aussies in NCAAW in 2025-26
• Exclusive: Sitaya Fagan joins college basketball powerhouse

Up and coming Australian talents are ready to take to the court in NCAA Division 1 women’s basketball for season 2025-26.

Some have headed over for their freshman seasons, others have transferred to new homes over the offseason, while some return to programs they’ve had great success at in recent years.

With that mind, let’s take a look at 20 Australian women to watch this season, which tips off on Tuesday morning (AEDT).

Mia Jacobs (SENIOR): Forward, Oregon

Mia Jacobs has transferred from Fresno State to Oregon and in her final season of collegiate basketball, she’s looking to challenge herself even further, preparing for the professional ranks.

“I entered the transfer portal knowing that I wanted to develop against higher level girls - that was one thing I was looking and really pushing for in my recruitment,” Jacobs told basketball.com.au in April.

“It’s a great opportunity to learn and to grow my basketball and my IQ.

“I’m able to kind of take that next step up without having to leave college against bigger and stronger bodies so that I am prepared for life after college, whether that's WNBA or WNBL.”

She averaged a monster double-double of 18.3 points and 10 rebounds, while shooting 38% from deep last season. In Oregon’s lone preseason game last week, a dominant win against Western Oregon, 113-36, Jacobs started and played 17 minutes to finish with 9 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists as the playing time was shared around.

Lara Somfai (FRESHMAN): Forward, Stanford

Stanford missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 36 years last season and they responded by recruiting some of the best freshmen prospects available, and Lara Somfai – a five-star recruit – was one of those names.

“I think our team has so much potential and there’s five of us freshman coming in, three of us are McDonald's All-Americans,” Somfai told basktebll.com.au in June.

“We have one of the best recruiting classes, so I think [coach Kate Paye] did such an incredible job, and now we just need to work and reward her.”

She is going to have a huge role to play for the Cardinal, and unlike many Australian freshmen entering the US college system, Somfai is used to the American style of play, having attended high school at IMG Academy in Miami the past couple of years.

Stanford have high hopes for Somfai and rightfully so, with the way she can control the paint and also stretch the floor with her outside shooting. In her pre-season debut, the South Australian got the start and in typical Somfai fashion, finished with a double-double of 13 points, 10 rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes against Cal State LA.

Amelia Hassett (SENIOR): Forward , Kentucky

After dominating the Junior College scene for two seasons at Eastern Florida, Amelia Hassett made the move to Division 1 at Kentucky last season and was a revelation for the Wildcats.

Now heading into her senior year, Hassett will again be a key figure for Kentucky as they look to return to the NCAA Tournament. She started all 31 games last season and averaged 8.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 blocks per game.

Her ability to protect the rim is vital for the Wildcats, while she is also an outside threat, highlighted by her six triples in a win over Vanderbilt last season.

Bonnie Deas (FRESHMAN): Guard, Arkansas

Anyone who has watched Bonnie Deas play the game of basketball knows she is absolutely relentless, and those in the college basketball world are about to learn exactly that. Whether she’s applying full-court defence or hitting big shots, Deas won’t back down.

Entering her freshman season, Deas will play key minutes for the Razorbacks and in their preseason win over UAFS, she got the start and finished with 10 points, seven reboundsand five steals, showcasing her defensive tenacity from the opening tip.

Deas starred for the Australian Gems as they made a magical run to the silver medal at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup, earning All-Star Five honours with averages of 12.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and three assists per game.

Lulu Twidale (JUNIOR): Guard, California

Lulu Twidale truly announced herself as one of the best long-range shooters in the nation last season and returns to Cal for her third season with the Golden Bears.

Not only was she one of the best high-volume three-point shooters (38.2% on 7.2 attempts per game), Twidale was also one of the most improved players, as she took her opportunity with both hands, relishing the extra minutes her tremendous play earned her.

She almost doubled her minutes per game (16.3 in 2023-24 to 31.4 in 2024-25), more than doubled her points per game (6.3 to 13.2) and rebounds per game (1.4 to 3.3), and her assists rose from 0.7 to 2.6 per game.

After starting all 34 games last season, Twidale is undoubtedly one of the leaders of this Golden Bears squad and will be one to watch in season 2025-26.

Sophie Burrows (JUNIOR): Guard, Syracuse

Much like Twidale, Sophie Burrows also improved out of sight last season and is primed for a massive 2025-26 season.

Despite a disappointing season for the Orange, Burrows rose to the occasion and after starting four games in her freshman year, she started all 30 games she played in season 2024-25.

Her three-point shooting was extraordinary, hitting 39.6% of long-range attempts, up from 26.9% the season before, while averaging 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

Last-Tear Poa (SENIOR): Guard, Arizona State

Last-Tear Poa was granted another year of college eligibility and after three seasons and a National Championship with LSU, she transferred to Arizona State.

She was an energy player off the bench for LSU (12.9 minutes per game last season), known for her defensive instincts, but will have a much larger role to play for the Sun Devils. In what will be her fifth year of college, Poa has the chance to really prove herself on both ends of the court.

In loaded LSU teams, Poa was somewhat pigeonholed to a defensive role, averaging just 2.4 shots per game across her three seasons but I expect that to rise with the Sun Devils.

Jada Crawshaw (JUNIOR): Forward, Georgia Tech

Jada Crawshaw made a name for herself at Long Beach State University over the past two seasons and after entering the transfer portal, she has made the move to Georgia Tech.

In her freshman year, Crawshaw was named to the Big West All-Freshman Team and last season she started 13 of 29 games. She was a much-improved three-point shooter last season, turning into a far more versatile player who stretches the floor and can operate inside or outside.

Tess Heal (SENIOR): Guard, Kansas State

After a dominant two-year run at Santa Clara, Tess Heal transferred to Stanford last season, and now for her senior year, she will play for her third team in three years; Kansas State.

It was a disappointing season for the Cardinal as they missed the NCAA Tournament but Heal’s efficiency stood out as the only player in the nation to shoot at least 45% on threes and 50% from the floor. Playing 21 minutes per game, she averaged eight points (49.3% from three), two rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

With Kansas State, Heal will have a larger role and in a preseason hit-out against Tarleton State, Heal got the start and was her deadly efficient self, hitting all four shots, including 3-from-3 from downtown to finish with 11 points in the 78-57 win.

Sienna Harvey (FRESHMAN): Guard, Washington

Sienna Harvey is a human highlight reel, and I can’t wait to see the development through her college career. Harvey played a key role in the Australian Gems’ run to silver at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup, dishing out assists and making defences look silly with her silky-smooth play.

There is plenty of guard depth on the Washington roster, with the three players who averaged 30-plus minutes last season all returning and being guards, while they also added star guard Avery Howell from USC via the transfer portal, so it will be interesting to see how much playing time Harvey earns.

Either way, I’m excited to see Harvey carve her path in the college system over the years to come.

Antoniette Emma-Nnopu (SENIOR): Forward, Weber State

After transferring from UNC Greensboro to Weber State last season, Emma-Nnopu earned an increased role and proved herself as a major inside presence.

She started in 27 of 29 games played, logged nine double-doubles and averaged nine points and 9.2 rebounds per game. With a new level of confidence and knowing the Weber State system and her teammates, I expect her senior year to be even better.

Charlise Dunn (SENIOR): Guard, Davidson

Charlise Dunn made her return to the court last season after overcoming an ACL injury and didn’t miss a beat. She averaged 12 points and 6.2 rebounds in 28 games and had some great scoring outbursts, hitting a new career-high 32 points (11-from-23 FG) against George Mason.

After finding her feet again so quickly after injury last season, I expect to see her take her game to the next level in her senior year having had a full offseason to develop, unlike last year when she was forced to rehab her knee.

Zoe Shaw (SOPHOMORE): Guard, UC Santa Barbara

It was tough going for St. Bonaventure last season, but Zoe Shaw’s freshman year was a bright spot. The Bonnies finished with a 6-24 record but Shaw was a constant, playing 34 minutes per game and averaging 11 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, while shooting a sublime 39.7% from deep.

After entering the transfer portal, Shaw has made the move to UC Santa Barbara, who had a solid 18-13 season in 2024-25. Shaw will add depth and shooting to the Gauchos in her sophomore season.

Isla Juffermans (SOPHOMORE): Forward, Louisville

Isla Juffermans played very limited minutes for the Cardinals in her freshman season, but the two frontcourt players that played more than 20 minutes per game (Olivia Cochran and Nyla Harris) are no longer on the squad, so opportunity knocks in her sophomore season.

Louisville added star forward Laura Ziegler through the transfer portal, so she will be starting, but after that there isn’t a lot of depth, with likely Juffermans and freshman Grace Mbugua to be playing key minutes in the frontcourt.

Look for her 6.8 minutes per game last season to rise considerably in season 2025-26.

The freshman class of Australians getting their college careers started this season is extremely exciting. From Australian Gems’ World Cup silver medallists Emilija Dakic (Florida) and Monique Williams (Vanderbilt), to those that have been at the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence in Jade Crook (Colorado), Opal Bird (Wake Forest) and Sarah Portlock (TCU), while a sharp-shooter to watch is Erica Finney (Illinois).

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.