Triple threat: Madi earns third Aussie call-up

• ‍Madi Ryan is a clear and present danger for Gems‍
• How the Aussie Gems took the world by storm‍
• By the Numbers: Australian Gems player snapshot

Representing your country even once is a major accomplishment, so doing it three times in a single year is just extraordinary.

Sixteen-year-old Madi Ryan is about to do exactly that.

Ryan, who hails from Victoria, is mature beyond her years and when steps on the basketball court, her versatility makes her an absolute nightmare to try to deal with.

The 6'1" wing can bring the ball up the court herself and facilitate, go to work in the paint, and stretch the floor by knocking down long-range shots.

On the defensive end, she can guard just about anyone, from guards to wings and bigs. This adaptability has seen her become a sure-fire selection for Australian squads, and whether she’s competing against players three years older than her as she did at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup in July or those her own age as she did at the 2025 FIBA U16 Asia Cup in September, Ryan is always ready for the challenge.

Her next challenge in the Green and Gold comes in December when she’ll represent Australia at the 2025 FIBA Under-17 Oceania Championships. That tournament will mark her third time in an Australian squad this year, and her fifth since July last year.

Ryan doesn’t take any of it for granted.

"Every moment I get to put on the Green and Gold, whatever tournament it is, it's just such a cool experience," Ryan told basketball.com.au.

"I absolutely love it, and I’m very grateful to have done it so many times at a young age.

"You play with a different team, different group of girls and different coaches each time, so it's just as special every time."

Speaking of special, Ryan’s performance in the Gems’ opening game against Brazil at Under-19 World Cup was all that and more.

She scored 10 consecutive points for Australia in the middle stages of a hotly-contested first quarter, including back-to-back triples, and finished with a game-high 22 points (9/11 FG and 4/6 3PT FG).

Head coach Renae Garlepp’s faith in starting the 16-year-old was clearly rewarded, and although it was a shock for Ryan to get the starting nod, she knew she just had to play her role.

“I did not expect [to start] at all,” Ryan said with a laugh.

“I was just happy to be there, obviously considering my age, but we went through scout for the first game and Renae said, ‘you'll start’, I was like, ‘okay, I've just got to go out there and do what I can do’.

“I wasn't as nervous as I thought I'd be. After that first game, I had the realisation of ‘oh, I can actually do this’. That just gave me so much more confidence for the rest of our games.”

“[Garlepp] gave me so much confidence and I know it wasn't just me, she gave confidence to the whole team. We all just got so much confidence from her because she was positive the entire way.”

The Gems’ run to silver was one to remember, as they rose to the occasion with each passing game and were within five points of USA with four minutes to play in the gold medal game.

“It was so special,” she said. “In the moment, when we did lose [the gold medal game], it's disappointing, but I think as soon as we got our silver medals, we realised how special what we'd just done was.

“Looking back on it, I'm so proud of what we were able to achieve.”

Ryan showcased her game for the world to see and clearly it stacks up against the best players – many of whom were three years older than her – in the world.

After helping the Gems claim silver, just a couple of months later Ryan led the Sapphires to gold at the 2025 FIBA U16 Asia Cup as the team accomplished the first-ever 'four-peat' at the event.

Ryan was selected to the Tournament All-Star Five, alongside teammate Isabel Smith, after averaging a team-high 15.2 points, along with 3.8 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 3.2 steals.

While Ryan has shone bright on the world stage, she has also been a constant fixture in Victoria Metro squads, and at the U18 National Championships in April, Ryan helped lead her squad to a gold medal.

Her performance in the gold medal game against South Australia Metro was about as complete of a game you could ever hope for; 22 points (8/12 FG, 3/4 3PT FG), 9 assists, 6 steals and 5 rebounds. Ryan did it all for her state and she talked about how special it was to win with that squad.

“That was one of the most fun tournaments I've ever played in,” she said. “It was a great group of girls, great group of staff, and that just makes it so much more fun. Winning it was great for everyone, but especially for the top-age players after they had a rough tournament the year before.

“Winning a championship for them was great because it was obviously their last year of juniors and it also gives us confidence next year going back into it.”

While Ryan has the basketball world at her feet, it all started with humble beginnings as she picked up a basketball at the age of five. Having played all her junior basketball at her home club the Sandringham Sabres, she credits the association, along with the Victorian and Australian basketball pathways, with helping her develop into the player she is today.

“Sandringham have been super important,” she said. “They've supported me so much the whole way through, hence why I've stayed. The coaches are great and I've loved playing with all the girls - it just feels like a really tight-knit community at Sandy, which is great.”

“Every coach at Sandy, every coach at Basketball Victoria and in the Australian teams I’ve been in, I really enjoyed playing for all of them.”

Whilst Ryan is still just 16 years old, there’s no doubt US college scouts already have their eyes on her. She’s the type off talent and athlete that major college programs fight for and with many of her Gems’ teammates now playing in the new college season or having committed to colleges for next season, Ryan hopes to join them in the States in the years to come.

“I definitely want to go to college,” she said. “It's now such a good opportunity for development and also learning a new style of play, obviously it’s very different to here in Australia.

“A lot of the Gems’ girls are over there now and obviously Sitaya [Fagan] and Zara [Russell] have recently committed too. I've been talking to some of the girls about it and it's just really exciting with all the opportunities that can come up.”

With opportunities continuing to come Ryan’s way, she’s not resting on her laurels. She’s working hard to improve her game every day and wants to build even further on her versatility, which is a scary proposition for opponents.

“I’m working on getting deeper in my bag and being able to play positions one through to five, which coaches need me to play,” she said. “Versatility has always been one of my strengths, so being able to be put on the point guard and setting up plays or finding a mismatch in the post, I just want to do whatever I can to help my team win.”

It’s little wonder that Ryan mentions Opals’ star Bec Allen as someone she loves to watch and study. Both possess length, athleticism and versatility, and Ryan hopes to one day represent Australia at the senior level too.

“Ever since I learned about Australian basketball when I was little, and grew up watching World Championships and the Olympics, playing for the Opals has always been a dream,” she said. “It's everyone's dream, but playing for the Opals would mean the absolute world to me, so to know that it’s a goal I think I can hopefully reach in the future is really cool.”

The sky is the limit for Madi Ryan, and whether she’s suiting up for Australia, Victoria Metro or Sandringham, she’s a force to be reckoned with.