Rising Opal: Sitaya Fagan earns national team debut

• ‍How we broke the story: Sitaya Fagan joins college basketball powerhouse‍
• Australian teen big US colleges are fighting over‍
• Aussie teen sensation's record NCAA interest

The country's top young female basketball prospect arguably since Lauren Jackson in boom University of Southern California recruit Sitaya Fagan will make her Australian Opals debut in July after being named to wear the green and gold at the senior level for the first time.

Fagan was named in the Opals team today to clash with China in a two-game series in her home city of Melbourne in July, just months before she will make her debut in the NCAA for the Trojans.

“I was beaming, I was just so excited to be a part of the squad, it's a dream come true as a young Australian and it just feels amazing,” told Basketball Australia.

The 18-year-old has represented Victoria Metro, the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence, and Australia’s Sapphires and Gems at the FIBA junior level and has claimed gold at FIBA’s 2022 U15 Women’s Oceania Championship, 2023 U16 Women’s Asia Championship and the 2025 U17 Women’s Oceania Cup, where the Frankston Blues junior won tournament MVP and in the All-Star 5.

She also starred at the FIBA U19 World Cup last year, where the Gems won a silver medal, losing to the USA in an epic final.

After dominating the junior age groups, Fagan said she couldn't wait to make her senior international debut.

“I can't believe it; I always thought maybe in a couple years when I’m in my mid-twenties I’d get an opportunity but getting one at 18 is just amazing," she said.

“It felt surreal putting this uniform on, obviously I played for the green and gold five or six times so I’m familiar with it, but this is just a completely different feel, even with the sponsors on the jersey it’s just another level up.”

Fagan spent the last part of the 2025-26 NCAA Division 1 college basketball season as part of the USC group during their run to the NCAA Tournament but will play a major role as part of the Trojans program next season.

“As soon as they [USC] offered me, I knew they were the one… they helped me with confidence, they helped me mentally, they're a phenomenal program and I'm excited to play next year,” she said.

Fagan and the Opals will host China at John Cain Arena on July 7 and 9 Fagan’s debut and will be part of Australia's preparation for the FIBA World Cup on September 4-13.

“I hope the seats are filled out, I bet they will be. I'm so excited that it's in Melbourne, people will be flying down, it's just an amazing city to be at," Fagan said.