SAN FRANCISCO - Eight Pac-12 women’s basketball players from five schools will represent four national teams at the 2022 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, which begins on Wednesday evening in Australia.
WNBA All-Stars in Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu and Washington's Kelsey Plum will suit up for the United States, the three-time defending World Cup champions (2018, 2014, 2010) and 10-time champions overall (2002, 1998, 1990, 1986, 1979, 1957, 1953). Four of the 12 on the Canadian roster are from the Pac-12 in a pair of current Ducks, fifth-year Taya Hanson and sophomore Phillipina Kyei, along with UCLA's Nirra Fields, a three-time All-Pac-12 performer (2016, 2015, 2014), and Arizona State's Mael Gilles, the Conference's fourth-leading rebounder from a season ago. Seattle Storm head coach and UCLA graduate Noelle Quinn is also an assistant coach for Team Canada.
Colorado's Mya Hollingshed, the program's sixth all-time leading scorer and a two-time All-Pac-12 selection (2022, 2021), will play for Puerto Rico, and UW's Sami Whitcomb, who just completed her sixth WNBA season with the New York Liberty, will play for Australia.
The Pac-12's eight women’s basketball alumnae at the event in Sydney are tied with the ACC for the most among all conferences.
The tournament takes place through the end of the month, with a total of 12 nations competing in two groups trying to make it to the knockout stages. A draw will determine the pairings of the quarterfinals with the two best-ranked teams of each group drawn against the teams ranked third and fourth in the other. The World Cup winner will earn a berth at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
During the 11-day event, six games will air exclusively in the United States on ESPN2 and ESPNU (simulcast on ESPN+), with an additional 30 games available on ESPN+. The championship final will air Friday, Sept. 30, at 11 p.m. PT on ESPN2.
The United States and Puerto Rico were drawn into Group A, while Australia and Canada are in Group B.
STUDENT-ATHLETES BY CONFERENCE | |||
Conference | Student-Athletes | Average per membership | |
1. | Pac-12 | 8 | 0.67 |
ACC | 8 | 0.53 | |
3. | Big Ten | 6 | 0.43 |
4. | Big 12 | 5 | 0.50 |
Big East | 5 | 0.45 | |
6. | SEC | 4 | 0.29 |
STUDENT-ATHLETES BY PAC-12 TEAMS | ||
Team | Student-Athletes | |
1. | Oregon | 3 |
2. | Washington | 2 |
3. | Arizona State | 1 |
Colorado | 1 | |
UCLA | 1 |
PAC-12 STUDENT-ATHLETES BY NATIONAL TEAM | |
Team | Student-Athletes |
Australia (1) | Sami Whitcomb - Washington |
Canada (4) | Nirra Fields - UCLA Mael Gilles - Arizona State Taya Hanson - Oregon Phillipina Kyei - Oregon |
Puerto Rico (1) | Mya Hollingshed - Colorado |
United States (2) | Sabrina Ionescu - Oregon Kelsey Plum - Washington |