Australia's versatile Gem a step closer to US dream

• Queenslander Prasayus Notoa has cut her list of US colleges to choose from down to UCLA, TCU and BYU
• Notoa played a significant role in the Australian Gems run to a silver medal at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup
• She also won a silver with the Queensland U20 team and was part of the Logan Thunder's 2025 NBL1 championship

Queensland teenager Prasayus Notoa can do it all on the basketball court and that’s exactly major US colleges are battling it out to add her to their program.

The 18-year-old class of 2026 guard/wing has fielded offers from all over the USA, and next month will go on official visits after cutting her list down to three schools; University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Texas Christian University (TCU) and Brigham Young University (BYU).

All three colleges have renowned programs and Notoa is grateful for the opportunities in front of her.

“Growing up, I saw the big college names like UCLA, so just having them as one of my options now, it’s like a dream come true,” Notoa told basketball.com.au.

“I never expected it for myself, but I guess hard work does pay off.”

“At the start [of the recruitment process], I was a bit nervous to hop on calls, but I think just building connections with the coaches as time has gone by and cutting down my options, it's been really good.

“Getting to know them all and their style of play, the girls, the history of their programs, it's been good building that relationship and foundation with them.”

What the versatile 6'0" Notoa will bring to one of those three college programs is enticing. She’s the type of prospect coaches dream of, boasting supreme size and strength when matched up against guards and when battling against bigs in the frontcourt, her agility and IQ make her extremely tough to handle.

She can guard basically any position, she has the tools and footwork to go to work in the paint, she can facilitate for her teammates, and she can also shoot it efficiently from long range.

All of that was on show when Notoa played a vital role in the Australian Gems’ run to the silver medal at the 2025 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup earlier this year. Top five in minutes played for the Gems, Notoa’s steadying presence came to the fore in crucial moments throughout the tournament, and she monstered Argentina in the round of 16 game, finishing with 11 points (2-from-3 from three-point range), 13 rebounds, six assists, two steals and one block.

“That tournament really helped me with my confidence,” she said.

“We all clicked really well together and our chemistry grew as games went on. I learned a lot from coach Renae [Garlepp], she helped me see the court a lot more, and the assistant coaches helped me a lot too.

“I just learned a lot from that experience.”

Notoa thrives on competition and when she was matched up against the best in the world, she rose to the occasion for her country. Her relentless work ethic on both ends of the court was on full display and she spoke about how special the journey to silver was and how much she loves wearing the green and gold.

“I still can't believe we got a medal at the World Cup, getting a medal is just crazy," she said with a laugh.

“Being in the grand final at a World Cup was a once-in-a-lifetime sort of experience.

“Representing your country and your family at the highest level of basketball, there’s nothing better than that.”

You get the sense that when we look at that Gems squad in a decade, many of those players will be Opals, they’ll be playing in the WNBA, playing in the WNBL and will be superstars of the sport.

Some are in college now, the likes of Bonnie Deas (Arkansas) and Sienna Harvey (Washington), while many others have committed to colleges for the 2026-27 season, such as Sitaya Fagan (USC), while Ruby Perkins and Zara Russell will team up at California, Berkeley.

Notoa absolutely fits that bill and she mentioned how special it is to see each other living out dreams and achieving at the highest level.

“It's just good to see us girls becoming successful and growing in our own pathways and growing our own names,” she said.

“Playing with each other and seeing each other grow across the couple of years we've been together, it’s just so cool.”

Notoa picked up the game of basketball at age four or five then started playing in under-8s at Ipswich, and in more recent times has played NBL1 for the Logan Thunder, being part of the club's championship this past season.

She was inspired by her sister, Neferatali (Tali), who was a supreme talent in her own right, playing college basketball at Oklahoma State from 2020-2022.

“Seeing my sister go off to college first and now with how far women’s college basketball has come and women's basketball in general, it's definitely somewhere I wanted to be in the future," Notoa said.

It all started to come to fruition for Notoa when she starred for Queensland at the National Under-20 Championships earlier this year, after doing the same at the under-18s level the year before

Averaging 15.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.3 steals per game for Queensland, Notoa was perhaps the most polished player at the tournament and clearly college programs thought the same thing as the offers began to roll in.

“Growing up I didn't take basketball too serious, I used to look at it just as fun,” she said.

“At the U18 Nationals last year when I was top age, the end of my junior years, I was like, ‘wow, I should actually lock in, I can actually go places with this sport’.

“Then after the U20 Nationals in January this year was when I got my first couple of scholarship offers from colleges, so that was a big stepping stone for me.”

Her first offer came from the prestigious Columbia University, and then they just kept coming.

“I'm very grateful and blessed to have this opportunity, not everyone gets to experience this,” she said.

“I’m just really soaking it all in, and making sure I pick the right fit for me is the goal. That’s the next step.”

While still undecided on which college she’ll choose, one thing is certain - Prasayus Notoa is a name to watch as she takes her talents to the next level.

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.