5

Mar

Aussies in NCAA

Elite 8: Freshman phenoms make 2025-26 First Teams

Written By

Peter Brown

Senior Editor

Elite 8: Freshman phenoms make 2025-26 First Teams
Elite 8: Freshman phenoms make 2025-26 First Teams

South Australian Lara Somfai and Victorian Joel Foxwell have both made their 2025-26 All-Conference teams.

Eight Australians earn 2025–26 NCAA Division I all-conference honours across major leagues.

Eight Australians — including rising star Joel Foxwell — have capped exceptional 2025-26 NCAA Division 1 basketball seasons, garnering all-conference selections.

Freshman Foxwell was named to the All-WCC First Team and Freshman Team after averaging 15.7 points per game, 6.5 assists and 4.1 rebounds. The WCC First Team has an all-Australian backcourt, as St. Mary's point guard Josh Dent followed in the footsteps of Gaels legend Matthew Dellavedova.

NBA champion Dellavedova, 35, was named to the WCC First Team three times between 2011 and 2013.

Three Australians — Foxwell, Dent and Davidson Wildcats star Charlise Dunn — made all-Conference First Teams. Senior guard Dunn earned All-A10 First Team honours, while Australian teammate Katie Donovan was named to the All-A10 Second Team.

South Australian forward Lara Somfai burst onto the college scene, adding to her early-season Freshman of the Week honours, and was named to the 2025-26 All-ACC Freshman Team.

Somfai told Jason Cadee on Cut to the Jase back in mid-January: “I completely fell in love with Stanford. Coming to Stanford it definitely opened my eyes to like more than a basketball player and a life outside of basketball for me. (But) genuinely, I do not think I’m playing great at all.

"I have so much to improve on I have so much to work on."

Australian Honours in 2025-26

Joel Foxwell – Portland Pilots

• 2025–26 All-WCC First Team
• 2025–26 All-WCC Freshman Team

Freshman guard Joel Foxwell from Melbourne, VIC – 1.85 m

Games: 31 | Minutes: 1,097 (35.4) | Points: 487 (15.7) | Rebounds: 127 (4.1) | Assists: 202 (6.5) | Steals: 52 (1.7) | Blocks: 4 (0.1) | Turnovers: 100 (3.2) | FG: 165-from-408 (40.5%) | 3PT: 61-from-182 (33.5%) | FT: 96-of-128 (75.0%)

Season High Stats (Single Game)

Points: 35 – 13-from-23 FG | 2-from-8 3PT | 7-of-8 FT vs Pepperdine (Feb 19)
Rebounds: 8 – multiple games
Assists: 15 – twice (Dec 15 vs Kent State; Dec 31 vs Santa Clara)
Steals: 4 – twice (Feb 12 at San Diego; Nov 4 vs Willamette)
Blocks: 1 – multiple games
Three-Pointers Made: 5 – multiple games
Free Throws Made: 11 – 11-of-12 vs Willamette (Nov 4)
Minutes: 43 – vs Pacific (Jan 9, OT)

Joshua Dent – Saint Mary’s Gaels

• 2025-26 All-WCC First Team

Sophomore guard Joshua Dent from Wollongong, NSW – 1.91 m

Games: 31 | Minutes: 1,117 (36.0) | Points: 412 (13.3) | Rebounds: 78 (2.5) | Assists: 174 (5.6) | Steals: 53 (1.7) | Blocks: 5 (0.2) | Turnovers: 70 (2.3) | FG: 132-from-284 (46.5%) | 3PT: 66-from-146 (45.2%) | FT: 82-of-96 (85.4%)

Season High Stats (Single Game)

Points: 26 – 9-from-14 FG | 6-from-9 3PT | 2-of-2 FT vs Washington State (Jan 11)
Rebounds: 7 – vs Florida Atlantic (Dec 20)
Assists: 11 – multiple games
Steals: 5 – multiple games
Blocks: 2 – vs Virginia Tech (Nov 28)
Three-Pointers Made: 6 – vs Washington State (Jan 11)
Free Throws Made: 10 – 10-of-10 at San Francisco (Jan 14)
Minutes: 40 – multiple games

Charlise Dunn – Davidson Wildcats

• 2025-26 All-A10 First Team

Senior guard Charlise Dunn from Victoria Point, QLD – 1.88 m

Games: 31 | Minutes: 1,063 (34.3) | Points: 477 (15.4) | Rebounds: 233 (7.5) | Assists: 58 (1.9) | Steals: 56 (1.8) | Blocks: 27 (0.9) | Turnovers: 80 (2.6) | FG: 164-from-403 (40.7%) | 3PT: 57-from-189 (30.2%) | FT: 92-of-112 (82.1%)

Season High Stats (Single Game)

Points: 33 – 10-from-20 FG | 3-from-10 3PT | 10-of-11 FT vs Baylor (Nov 23)
Rebounds: 13 – multiple games
Assists: 6 – vs Ball State (Dec 8)
Steals: 7 – vs High Point (Dec 18)
Blocks: 4 – vs Ohio (Dec 1)
Three-Pointers Made: 6 – vs NC State (Dec 22)
Free Throws Made: 10 – 10-of-11 vs Baylor (Nov 23)
Minutes: 52 – at Richmond (Jan 11, 3OT)

Lara Somfai – Stanford Cardinal

• 2025-26 All-ACC Freshman Team

Freshman forward Lara Somfai from Adelaide, SA – 1.91 m

Games: 31 | Minutes: 807 (26.0) | Points: 332 (10.7) | Rebounds: 285 (9.2) | Assists: 47 (1.5) | Steals: 27 (0.9) | Blocks: 25 (0.8) | Turnovers: 61 (2.0) | FG: 126-from-307 (41.0%) | 3PT: 33-from-103 (32.0%) | FT: 47-of-64 (73.4%)

Season High Stats (Single Game)

Points: 19 – multiple games
Rebounds: 23 – vs Pittsburgh (Feb 6)
Assists: 8 – vs Pittsburgh (Feb 6)
Steals: 3 – vs Cal Poly (Nov 10)
Blocks: 3 – multiple games
Three-Pointers Made: 3 – multiple games
Free Throws Made: 7 – 7-of-8 vs SMU (Feb 27)
Minutes: 40 – vs Pittsburgh (Feb 6)

Dyani Ananiev – Portland Pilots

• 2025-26 All-WCC Second Team

Sophomore guard Dyani Ananiev from St. Andrews, NSW – 1.88 m

Games: 27 | Minutes: 753 (27.9) | Points: 297 (11.0) | Rebounds: 106 (3.9) | Assists: 65 (2.4) | Steals: 73 (2.7) | Blocks: 26 (1.0) | Turnovers: 58 (2.1) | FG: 109-from-275 (39.7%) | 3PT: 52-from-137 (38.0%) | FT: 27-of-34 (79.4%)

Season High Stats (Single Game)

Points: 22 – 10-from-18 FG | 1-from-4 3PT | 1-of-1 FT vs Santa Clara (Jan 16)
Rebounds: 10 – vs Pacific (Jan 5)
Assists: 6 – multiple games
Steals: 6 – vs Nevada (Nov 30)
Blocks: 4 – vs Pepperdine (Feb 27)
Three-Pointers Made: 4 – vs San Francisco (Dec 31)
Free Throws Made: 4 – multiple games
Minutes: 38 – vs Oregon State (Feb 8)

Lulu Twidale – California Golden Bears

• 2025-26 All-ACC Second Team

Junior guard Lulu Twidale from Sunshine Coast, QLD – 1.78 m

Games: 31 | Minutes: 1,129 (36.4) | Points: 499 (16.1) | Rebounds: 115 (3.7) | Assists: 118 (3.8) | Steals: 23 (0.7) | Blocks: 0 (0.0) | Turnovers: 95 (3.1) | FG: 163-from-422 (38.6%) | 3PT: 94-from-263 (35.7%) | FT: 79-of-96 (82.3%)

Season High Stats (Single Game)

Points: 36 – 11-from-18 FG | 8-from-15 3PT | 6-of-6 FT vs Boston College (Jan 19)
Rebounds: 9 – vs Florida State (Feb 20)
Assists: 12 – vs Syracuse (Jan 16, 3OT)
Steals: 2 – multiple games
Blocks: 0
Three-Pointers Made: 8 – vs Boston College (Jan 19)
Free Throws Made: 9 – 9-of-10 vs Pittsburgh (Feb 9)
Minutes: 53 – vs Syracuse (Jan 16, 3OT)

Katie Donovan – Davidson Wildcats

• 2025-26 All-A10 Second Team

Junior guard Katie Donovan from Queensland, QLD – 1.80 m

Games: 30 | Minutes: 1,021 (34.0) | Points: 365 (12.2) | Rebounds: 93 (3.1) | Assists: 42 (1.4) | Steals: 44 (1.5) | Blocks: 15 (0.5) | Turnovers: 64 (2.1) | FG: 136-from-299 (45.5%) | 3PT: 60-from-141 (42.6%) | FT: 33-of-48 (68.8%)

Season High Stats (Single Game)

Points: 28 – 10-from-16 FG | 7-from-8 3PT | 1-of-1 FT vs Ball State (Dec 8)
Rebounds: 6 – multiple games
Assists: 4 – multiple games
Steals: 5 – multiple games
Blocks: 3 – at Saint Louis (Jan 4)
Three-Pointers Made: 7 – vs Ball State (Dec 8)
Free Throws Made: 6 – multiple games
Minutes: 45 – at Richmond (Jan 11, 3OT)

Tess Heal – Kansas State Wildcats

• 2025-26 All-Big 12 Third Team

Senior guard Tess Heal from Melbourne, VIC – 1.78 m

Games: 29 | Minutes: 818 (28.2) | Points: 325 (11.2) | Rebounds: 105 (3.6) | Assists: 49 (1.7) | Steals: 43 (1.5) | Blocks: 8 (0.3) | Turnovers: 41 (1.4) | FG: 109-from-222 (49.2%) | 3PT: 23-from-61 (37.7%) | FT: 84-of-102 (82.4%)

Season High Stats (Single Game)

Points: 31 – 9-from-16 FG | 2-from-4 3PT | 11-of-12 FT at Houston (Jan 8)
Rebounds: 9 – multiple games
Assists: 7 – vs Kansas (Feb 22)
Steals: 4 – multiple games
Blocks: 2 – vs Omaha (Nov 4)
Three-Pointers Made: 3 – multiple games
Free Throws Made: 11 – 11-of-12 at Houston (Jan 8)
Minutes: 40 – multiple games

Related Articles

See all articles

Stay in the Loop with the latest Hoops