11 Fast Facts about Aussies in NCAAW '25-26

• ‍10 Fast Facts about Aussies in NCAAM '25-26‍
• List of Australian women playing in NCAA Division 1 in 2025-26‍
• Exclusive: Sitaya Fagan joins college basketball powerhouse

Australian women's basketball is the champion of Asia at all levels in 2025 from the Opals to Under-16s and the Australian Gems won silver at the 2025 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in July.

Now it's NCAA Women's Division I's time to face the growing firepower of one of the toughest basketball nations in the world in the 2025-26 season.

Australians have been recruited by colleges and universities across the US and the fanfare of our best juniors committing to the Class of 2026 is now a high-profile event, such as Sitaya Fagan, who announced she is joining USC next year while the transfers of players such as national champion Last-Tear Poa from LSU to Arizona State generate excitement here in Australia and on campus in the US.

The meantime, the 2025-26 season has started with our best university-aged stars playing in an extraordinary 485 games in November alone.

11 Fast Facts — Australians in NCAA Women’s Basketball 2025–26

1. A record 93 Australians are competing in US Division I college basketball this season‍

Australia continues to build one of the most powerful pipelines in women’s basketball, with 93 athletes suiting up across Division I programs in 2025–26. They blend veteran experience with fresh talent: seniors such as Tess Heal (Kansas State), Lizzy Williamson (Oregon State), and Dani Bayes (Boise State) headline the group, while first-year players Jade Crook (Colorado), Opal Bird (Wake Forest), and Sienna Harvey (Washington) represent the next generation. It’s the largest single-season Australian presence ever recorded in NCAA women’s hoops.

2. Sixty-nine NCAA teams now feature at least one Australian player‍

From the ACC to the Big Sky, Australians are on 69 different rosters. Power programs such as Kentucky (Sr Amelia Hassett), Baylor (Jr Ella Brow), and Utah (Jr Chyra Evans and So Grace Foster) sit alongside mid-majors like Davidson, Belmont, Buffalo, and Boise State. This nationwide spread underscores how deeply US recruiters value Australia’s emphasis on team play, skill fundamentals, and basketball IQ.

3. Australians will feature in nearly 500 college games during November alone

The opening month of the NCAA season is loaded — Australians are involved in 485 fixtures across November 2025. That volume reflects both the size and spread of Australia's basketball stars, with programs such as Boise State, Utah, Davidson, and Boston College logging packed early-season slates. For players such as Ella Brow (Baylor), Charlise Dunn (Davidson), and Jade Crook (Colorado), November serves as both a proving ground and a national showcase.

4. More than 1,360 games scheduled for Australian players

Australians could play in as many as 1,360 games in the 2025-26 season.

5. Davidson leads the nation with four Australians on its roster‍

No US program has embraced the Australian system more fully than Davidson, home to Charlise Dunn (Sr), Katie Donovan (Sr), Emilie Bessell (So), and Asha Nightingale (Fr). The Wildcats’ all-Aussie rotation features size, shooting, and toughness across four states — Victoria, Queensland, Sydney, and Melbourne — cementing Davidson as a genuine international hub in the Atlantic 10.

6. Four programs carry three Australians apiece‍

Right behind Davidson sit Hawai‘i, Oregon State, Portland State, and Saint Mary’s, each boasting three Australians. Hawai‘i blends returning forwards Danijela Kujovic and Kira-May Filemu with freshman guard Teyahna Bond from Cairns. Oregon State deploys the towering trio of Lizzy Williamson (1.96 m), Katelyn Field, and Keira Lindemans. Portland State features Taylor Moffat (Sr), Hannah Chicken (Fr), and Tiana Adamson, while Saint Mary’s mixes Emily Foy (Jr), Amy Kurkowski (So), and Edie Clarke (So) — a core drawn from Melbourne’s deep junior talent base.

7. Eleven programs roster two Australians who play major minutes‍

Duos dominate at programs such as Boise State (Bayes and Sharp), Buffalo (Alice Dart and Meg Lucas), Boston College (Carmody and Trout), Utah (Evans and Foster), and UC Santa Barbara (Olivia Bradley and Zoe Shaw). These pairs offer built-in chemistry and mutual support far from home, often sharing developmental histories in the WNBL1 or state high-performance systems before reuniting in the U.S.

8. Senior leadership anchors the Australian contingent across the U.S.‍

Experience defines the backbone of Australia’s NCAA presence, with 15 seniors and graduates steering programs across the country. That leadership group includes Tess Heal (Kansas State) orchestrating the Wildcats’ offence, Lizzy Williamson (Oregon State) patrolling the paint, and Dani Bayes (Boise State) spacing the floor. Forwards Amelia Hassett (Kentucky) and Mia Jacobs (Oregon) headline SEC and Pac-12 frontlines, while Last-Tear Poa (Arizona State) brings elite  LSU experience to the Sun Devils. This senior wave sets the tone culturally and competitively for Australia’s entire cohort.

9. The sophomore class is the engine room of Australia’s NCAA growth‍

The largest single tier in 2025–26 is the sophomore class, boasting 38 players across 30 teams. It’s a deep pool establishing itself in starting rotations — including Lily Carmody (Boston College), Tabitha Betson (Colorado), Hilary Fuller (Belmont), and Milly Sharp (Boise State). Standouts such as Isla Juffermans (Louisville) are already vital in Power-Five line-ups. With two more seasons of eligibility, this group will shape both NCAA outcomes and potentially Australia’s next Opals selection cycle.

10. Multiple “Aussie vs Aussie” matchups headline the non-conference slate‍

The November calendar is packed with “Aussie vs Aussie” contests. Highlights include Boise State (Dani Bayes, Milly Sharp) @ Colorado (Jade Crook, Tabitha Betson) on Nov 19, and Buffalo (Alice Dart, Meg Lucas) @ St Bonaventure (Zoe Shaw) on Nov 20. These early-season meetings pit state teammates and junior-pathway graduates against one another on opposite benches.

11. Australians span 25 states, 10 NCAA conferences, and four class tiers‍

The 2025–26 contingent includes 15 seniors, 18 juniors, 38 sophomores, and 25 freshmen across at least 10 conferences and 25 states. From Amelia Hassett (Kentucky) in the SEC to Ayuen Akot (Marquette) in the Big East and Ruby Sweeney-Spitzeck (Idaho State) in the Big Sky, Australians are everywhere. The incoming freshmen class — Bonnie Deas (Arkansas), Lara Somfai (Stanford), Sarah Portlock (TCU), and others — ensures that the green-and-gold presence in the NCAA will only continue to grow.