March Madness: Aussies to face-off in Sweet 16

• TCU's Agnes Emma-Nnopu will take on Notre Dame in the Sweet Sixteen at 4am (AEDT) Sunday
• Lizzy Williamson's NC State will face fellow Australian Last-Tear Poa and LSU on Saturday at 10.30am
• A field of 14 Aussie women, who started the tournament, are now down to just three

It’s the best time of the year for college hoops and Australian women have been in the thick of the action as the NCAA Tournament kicks into gear.

A strong field of 14 Australian women and their teams qualified for the Tournament and with the Sweet Sixteen field now set, just three remain.

Agnes Emma-Nnopu (TCU), Lizzy Williamson (NC State) and Last-Tear Poa (LSU) are the Aussie talents to watch out for this weekend.

Emma-Nnopu, a fifth-year senior, is in her second season with the TCU Horned Frogs, after three years at Stanford and she delivered the best performance of her college career in TCU’s second-round match-up against Louisville.

Playing all but two minutes of the game, Emma-Nnopu scored a career-high 23 points (8-from-12 from the field and 4-from-7 from three3) as she led the Frogs in scoring in the impressive 85-70 win over the Cardinals. It will be TCU’s first ever appearance in the women’s Sweet Sixteen when they face powerhouse Notre Dame at 4am Sunday (AEDT).

Poa and Williamson will face-off when LSU meet NC State in the Sweet Sixteen on Saturday at 10.30am (AEDT). Poa, who was a member of the Tigers’ National Championship squad in 2023, has averaged 13 minutes per game in her senior year at LSU, and her dogged defence is what makes her a valuable piece of her team’s puzzle.

Williamson, a fifth-year senior, is played sparingly in a loaded Wolfpack squad. Having beaten Vermont and Michigan State on their way to the Sweet Sixteen, NC State is in red-hot form as they look to back up a Final Four appearance from last year.

It was heartbreak for Georgia Amoore and Amelia Hassett as Kentucky lost an overtime thriller to Kansas State in the second round. After beating No.13 seed Liberty by one-point in the first round, Kentucky was on the other side of the sword in the second round against Kansas State as what would’ve been the game-winner from Amoore turned out to be her final shot in college basketball as her floater rimmed out as the buzzer went. Kansas State prevailed 80-79 despite the best efforts of Amoore, who played all 45 minutes, and hit clutch shots down the stretch to force overtime.

The result brought a close to Amoore’s time in college basketball, which stands as one of the greatest Australian college careers we’ve seen, highlighted by a Final Four appearance in 2023 with Virginia Tech. Next up for Amoore will be the WNBA Draft, which takes place on April 14, and then her professional career will get underway. I can’t wait for what is next!

For Hassett, it was a coming-of-age season in her first year with the Wildcats. She was a revelation, starting every game and averaging 8.6 points and 7.9 rebounds. Keep an eye on Hassett next season as she continues to build and improve her already polished game.

The other Australian to make it past the first round was Isla Juffermans. In her freshman season at Louisville, the New South Wales product didn’t see a lot of court time, averaging seven minutes across 24 games played, but you get the feeling she will see a much larger role in her sophomore season.

The remarkable college career of Kitty Henderson ended in the first round when Columbia fell to West Virginia. After a memorable win over Washington in the First Four, Columbia officially booked their ticket to the first round but a dominant first half by the Mountaineers kept the Lions at bay.

Henderson’s four seasons at Columbia were historic, not only is she the winningest player in program history, she finishes as the all-time leader in assists (494), while also being fourth in points (1350) and sixth in rebounds (703), truly highlighting her complete game. In her final season with the Lions, Henderson averaged 13.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists as she led Columbia to the Ivy League regular season title.

Kelsey Rees’ time in college basketball also came to a close when Oregon State lost to North Carolina in the first round. After winning the WCC Championship, the Beavers ran into a North Carolina team that used a 30-9 third quarter to put the game to bed, running out 70-49 winners.

After three years at the University of Utah, Rees transferred to Oregon State last season and really came into her own this year as her minutes and responsibilities increased. Averaging 13 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, Rees’ improvements were there for everyone to see and I’m excited to see what’s next for the South Australian.

Lulu Twidale made a name for herself in a sophomore season that proves she sits comfortably as one of the best three-point shooters in college basketball. Her minutes almost doubled to 31.5 per game this season and she was a constant offensive threat for the Golden Bears, knocking down a healthy 38% of long-range shots on more than seven attempts per game.

California bowed out of the Tournament in a first-round loss to Mississippi State, but Twidale did all she could. Incredibly, Twidale was the only Golden Bear to make a field goal until just 1:09 remained in the firs thalf when Ioanna Krimili finally broke through with a triple. At one point late in the second quarter, Twidale was 4-from-6 from the field, while the rest of her teammates were 0-from-18.

Somehow and thanks largely to Twidale, California trailed by just seven points at the half but Mississippi State controlled the second half to get the win, 59-46.

Chyra Evans and Grace Foster (Utah), Jessica Petrie (Nebraska) and Rebekah Frisby-Smith (William and Mary) all fell in the first round too.

Frisby-Smith’s five-year college career at William and Mary wound down when Texas dominated the Tribe with 105-61 victory. Petrie’s Nebraska squad lost a close battle to Louisville, 63-58, in the first round. It was an encouraging sophomore season for Petrie, who saw her minutes double to 20 per game, and she averaged 6.6 points and 4.4 rebounds across 33 games and 23 starts.

Utah fell to Indiana in their first-round meeting, 76-68. Freshman, Foster didn’t see any court time, while Chyra Evans redshirted this season after sustaining an ankle injury in the preseason.

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.