Aussie sharpshooter Heal joins Kansas State Wildcats

• After two standout seasons at Santa Clara University, Heal transferred to Stanford
• After Stanford failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1987, she entered the portal
• Heal is the second Australian in the K-State women's program following Rebekah Dallinger

In what is seen as a significant acquisition for the K-State women's basketball program, head coach Jeff Mittie has secured the talents of Australian guard Tess Heal for the upcoming 2025-26 season. The Melbourne native brings an impressive resume of shooting efficiency and international experience to a Wildcats team coming off a historic season.

Elite Shooting Efficiency

Heal, a 178cm guard, joins K-State after spending the 2024-25 season at Stanford, where she established herself as one of the most efficient shooters in NCAA Division I basketball. She was the only player in the nation to achieve both a field goal percentage above 50 percent (50.3%) and a three-point percentage better than 45 percent (49.3%), while meeting the criteria of at least two three-point attempts per game and 30 or more games played.

During her season with Stanford, Heal averaged eight points per game, totalling 239 points across the campaign. She reached double figures in 11 games, including a standout performance against Wake Forest on January 26, where she posted a season-high 24 points. Beyond scoring, she contributed 60 rebounds (2.0 per game), 35 assists (1.2 per game), 14 steals and eight blocks, demonstrating her all-round ability.

Stellar Career at Santa Clara

Before transferring to Stanford, Heal spent two productive seasons at Santa Clara University. Her time with the Broncos was decorated with accolades, including two All-West Coast Conference (WCC) First Team selections and the 2023 WCC Newcomer of the Year award. She was also named to the 2023 WCC All-Freshman Team, collected six WCC Player of the Week honours, and set a conference record by being named WCC Freshman of the Week an astonishing 12 times.

Heal's statistical output at Santa Clara was exceptional, averaging 18.6 points per game on 47.2 percent shooting, alongside 4.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 32.2 minutes of action. Her consistent production placed her in elite company—over her two seasons at Santa Clara, she was one of only three players in the nation, alongside Iowa's Caitlin Clark and Wofford's Rachael Rose, to shoot at least 45 percent from the field while averaging 18 points, four rebounds, and four assists.

Her impact on the Santa Clara program is reflected in the record books, where she ranks 11th in career points (1,225), second in scoring average (18.6), fifth in free throws made (332), second in free throw percentage (86.7%), and 10th in assists (296).

Australian National Team Experience

Heal has represented her country at both the U19 and U18 levels. In 2023, she competed in the FIBA U19 World Cup in Madrid, Spain, contributing 7.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game.

The previous year, she helped Australia secure a gold medal at the FIBA U18 Asian Championship Division A in Bengaluru, India. Throughout that tournament, she averaged 7.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists.

At the domestic level, Heal captained Victoria Metro at three Junior National Championships, leading her team to two gold medals and one silver. Her leadership qualities were on full display during the U18 2021 Grand Final in the Australian Junior Championships, where she delivered a stellar double-double performance of 25 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.

Second Australian to Join the Wildcats

Heal becomes just the second Australian to play for the K-State women's basketball program, following Rebekah Dallinger, who was with the team from 2021 to 2024.

Joining a Program on the Rise

The timing of Heal's arrival couldn't be better, as she joins a K-State program coming off one of its most successful seasons in history. The 2024-25 campaign saw the Wildcats secure their 19th NCAA Tournament bid and reach the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in program history.

With 28 wins, the team recorded the second-most victories in a single season in school history and tied for the second-most wins over a two-season span with 54. The Wildcats maintained their presence in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls throughout the entire season, a testament to their consistent excellence.

The team's success was built on offensive firepower and defensive solidity, as they established new single-season records for points (2,842), assists (763), and blocks (206). Their dominance within the Big 12 conference was evident as they led in numerous statistical categories, including scoring offense, scoring margin, field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage, field goal percentage defense, assists per game, and assist-turnover ratio.

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