'The Decision': Prasayus Notoa chooses her college path

• Queenslander Prasayus Notoa has committed to Brigham Young University
• She was recently named MVP and Defensive Player of the Australian Under-20 Championships
• Notoa played a key role in the Aussie Gems winning a silver medal at last year's FIBA U19 World Cup

One of the most highly sought-after women’s college basketball prospects has made her commitment decision, with Australian Prasayus Notoa committing to Brigham Young University (BYU).

The Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the 2026 Australian Under-20 Championships had prestigious programs across the US chasing her commitment, and ultimately, Notoa’s decision to choose BYU came down to finding the right fit for her to continue to grow on her basketball journey.

"My priority was going somewhere that felt like home,” Notoa told basketball.com.au.

“During my visits, BYU felt like that for me.

"I can’t wait to head over to BYU to continue improving my game and developing. I'm just excited to get started, and keen to play with the girls and learn from all the coaches."

What Notoa will take with her to Provo, Utah, is a game that speaks for itself. Her versatility is unmatched, with her ability to play and guard every position on the floor making her a match-up nightmare.

Whether she’s on the perimeter, curtailing guards, or battling against bigs in the paint, the Queensland product thrives on the defensive end of the court, which was ingrained into her game from an early age.

"Defence wins games; that has always been the motto growing up,” Notoa said.

“My mum coached me through juniors, and she really made sure that defence was at the forefront of my mind."

While her defensive instincts are game-changing, the offensive arsenal she possesses is just as impressive. Notoa can score inside or outside and is a proven facilitator at all levels, highlighted by her dishing out a tournament-best 6.2 assists per game at the recent national championships in Ballarat.

She also finished second in scoring with 15.8 points per game and was the leading rebounder with 12.2 boards per game.

Having dominated for Queensland throughout her junior career, Notoa has also shone brightly on the world stage when pulling on the green and gold for Australia.

A vital piece in Australia’s memorable run to a silver medal at the 2025 FIBA Under-19 Women’s World Cup, the Logan Thunder junior and Brisbane State High School star was one of the most efficient players in the tournament, shooting 54.8% from the field, 46.7% on three-pointers and 100% from the free-throw line.

Notoa is the archetype of the modern, do-it-all wing.

Her commitment to BYU comes after a trip to the US late last year for official visits to the final three schools on her list - BYU, UCLA and TCU - and she admits all three schools were exceptional, and getting her first taste of college life was a pinch-me moment.

“That was my first time in the States, and it was great to meet everyone from all the different programs,” Notoa said.

“Each school was just unbelievable, and being on a college campus is just unreal, it's nothing like you see back here in Australia.

"As a basketball player, going to college is where every player wants to be, and just seeing the women’s game grow throughout the years has been great."

Notoa joins a BYU program on the rise, and her commitment marks a new era for the Cougars, proving they are here to compete and recruit world-class talent after also securing a commitment from her longtime junior teammate, dynamic guard Vahaylia Seumanutafa.

There’s no doubt she will have a key role to play from the moment she steps on campus later this year.

Freshmen often enter a program and take a back seat as they learn the ropes, but the 18-year-old has all the makings of a player who will have an immediate impact.

It’s clear that coach Lee Cummard and those within the BYU program have complete faith in what Notoa brings to the table, so much so that they were the only program to travel to Australia to meet with her in person before her official visits.

It’s that sort of connection that creates trust and value, and it’s clear that it's a two-way street between Notoa and coach Cummard.

With so much talent and a work ethic to match, Notoa has the college basketball world at her feet, but she will remain grounded. As part of her NIL deal, Notoa will make a charitable donation year on year to an organisation of her choosing.

While already possessing such a complete game, thinking of the player Prasayus Notoa could become after four years of college is a scary proposition, and she has major goals on her mind.

"Ultimately, my goal is to make it to the WNBA," she said.

MVP Numbers at the Australian Under-20 National Championships

Prasayas Notoa — 5-Game Tournament Totals‍

Games: 5 │ Minutes: 159:15 │ Points: 79 │ FG: 31–62 (50.0%) │ 2P: 25–37 (67.6%) │ 3P: 6–25 (24.0%) │ FT: 11–15 (73.3%) │ Rebounds: 61 (15 OREB, 46 DREB) │ Assists: 31 │ Turnovers: 17 │ Steals: 11 │ Blocks: 4 │ Plus/Minus: +39

Prasayas Notoa — Per-Game Tournament Average:‍

Minutes: 31:51 │ Points: 15.8 │ FG: 6.2–12.4 │ 2P: 5.0–7.4 │ 3P: 1.2–5.0 │ FT: 2.2–3.0 │ Rebounds: 12.2 (3.0 OREB, 9.2 DREB) │ Assists: 6.2 │ Turnovers: 3.4 │ Steals: 2.2 │ Blocks: 0.8 │ Plus/Minus: +7.8

PRASAYUS NOTOA - WHAT MAKES HER SPECIAL

Versatility and IQ are the two things that stand out with Prasayus Notoa.

Having coached her at both the junior and senior levels, Notoa's biggest strength arguably is her ability to play any position on the floor. Throughout her junior career, she was her team's point guard - being able to run a team and orchestrate their offence with her knowledge of the game and presence she demands on the floor. To go with that, she also has a unique passing ability to be the ultimate point guard, where she can find her teammates in the positions where they want the ball.

She has also continued to develop her ability to score the ball from anywhere on the court - being able to attack the basket with her athleticism and size, find herself with space in the paint and earn points through floaters or mid-range jump shots and of course, consistently improving her three-point shot in recent seasons.

Building on her versatility, Notoa has played the small forward and power forward positions at the senior level and also on the world stage for the Australian Gems at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup last year. It's there her attributes continue to shine by setting screens for her guards, being able to roll to the rim and attack or pop and attack slower bigs in space. She has also guarded the centre positions at junior national championships while playing the point on the other end of the floor.

The hardest thing as an opponent with Notoa - how do you guard her?

Put a smaller body on her, and she'll dominate them with her size, physicality, and ability to work from the post. Put a bigger body on her, and she has the handles and perimeter skills to make defenders look silly.

She has also continued to develop as a leader over the past two years, showing maturity beyond her years as she'd led her Queensland team to three consecutive silver medals at national championships.

Main area for improvement to take her game to the next level; continue improvement on the three-point shot, both off the dribble, in catch and shoot situations and as a spot-up shooter as well.

Summary: Prasayus Notoa is a unique talent who boasts all the tools to be a future Opals star and will be one hell of a recruit for BYU.