In the genes: Full circle moment for Fagan's mum 30 years on

• Sitaya Fagan's mum, Kirsten Fagan (Geppert) played for Vic Country and also played college basketball
• Sitaya is the most sought-after Australian women’s basketball recruit in NCAA history
• See every Australian in the NCAAW for 2025-26 season

It’s been a full-circle journey for Kirsten Fagan (Geppert) as she guides her daughter, Sitaya Fagan, through the rigours of being one of the most highly touted Australian basketball prospects ever.

Kirsten was a talented teenager from Victoria, just as her daughter is today, and although the women’s college basketball landscape has changed drastically since her freshman year in 1995, there are still similarities 30 years on.

“From the point of view as far as the big picture, it's really the same concept, what she's going through now, to what I went through,” Kirsten told basketball.com.au.

“You're leaving Victoria, you're going off to play college basketball, and you'll get a degree.

“The difference now is that it's no longer VHS tapes to check out how you play, coaches can see everything they want online, streaming platforms and social media is massive. The journey is similar, but it is also so different now with revenue sharing and NIL, things like that, so it’s a game changer.

“Whereas when I went, it was a game-changer because you didn’t have to pay your university fees. Both my parents were in education, so they were like, ‘this is amazing, get your university paid for’. Now it's on a different level.”

After receiving offers from colleges all over the USA, including 26 from Power Four programs, Sitaya - a class of 2026 recruit - recently cut down her list of potential colleges to three powerhouses; USC, Texas and South Carolina. Official visits are slated for later this month, and then it’s decision time.

Asked what she’s looking for in a school for her daughter, Kirsten has some non-negotiables.

“Connection, she’s got to be able to connect with them and right now she feels that she can connect with all three of those schools,” she said.

“Also, support and well-being, because at the end of the day, it's a 16-hour flight away, and I need to know that if something goes wrong, she's got support around her.

“I work in education, and Sitaya has always said from day one, it's got to be 50-50 academic and basketball.”

The way Sitaya, a 17-year-old 6’4” wing, impacts the game of basketball is otherworldly. Her insane defensive instincts, athleticism and length make her an absolute nightmare to try to score against, while her silky-smooth movements and skill helps her glide to the basket at will.

In July, she was a vital piece of the Australian Gems’ FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup squad which came home with a memorable silver medal. As a double bottom-age player, she started all six games and was the team’s equal-leading scorer (12.3 points per game).

It’s little wonder where Sitaya got her athletic prowess and basketball intellect from, following in her mother’s basketball footsteps, while her father Phil Fagan was an elite athlete as an accomplished European and Australian boxer and kickboxer.

Kirsten grew up playing for Victoria Country and the Dandenong Rangers as a junior, which led to her being selected to a Victoria Select team that travelled to the USA to play and that’s where she got her big college break.

With plenty of college scouts in attendance, she was recruited by JUCO school Grayson County College in Texas and played there for a year and a half. After graduating from Grayson County, she made the move to Division 1 basketball, attending the University of Texas at San Antonio.

From there, she then attended Texas A&M, completing her master’s degree while doing a graduate assistantship in the basketball program. Upon returning to Australia in the early 2000s, she played WNBL and ABA for a couple of seasons before giving birth to Sitaya, where she decided ‘I’m better off being a mum'.

A 6'0" forward who dominated the glass, Kirsten was the ultimate team player. She was a strong operator inside and made her teammates better by setting screens all game long.

As Sitaya has made her way through the ranks, Kirsten has been reunited with old friends, coaches and teammates, which has been a joy.

“David ‘Herbie’ Herbert has done amazing work with Sitaya [at Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence (CoE)], and he was my assistant coach when I was playing in the Vic Country State team in the mid-90s,” she said.

“Two years ago, I answered a phone call from the CoE about them wanting to recruit Sitaya. The moment we heard each other's voices, we both went silent - then burst out with 'Is that really you?' Here he'd been recruiting Sitaya, having no idea she was my daughter.

“Sam Tomlinson, I played with her and she's gone above and beyond with her college recruiting efforts for Sitaya – it’s been incredible.

“There are people like Nat Porter (who was Sitaya’s junior rep coach at Frankston Blues), Kerryn Mitchell (who coached Sitaya at Flinders College), Sally Phillips, Allison Tranquilli, Kerry Waller, Jo Wood, Renae Garlepp, Kelly Lemez, Jenna O’Hea, Jenni Screen, Michelle Brogan. All these people I knew or played with that I’m reconnecting with again, so it's pretty amazing. They have all been a part of Sitaya’s journey so far and it’s exciting to see my old friends impart their wisdom on her.”

Kirsten saw her daughter leave home at 15 to attend the CoE and follow her basketball dreams.

“For me, I always knew it was right, and it was really about her belief in herself,” she said.

“Once she got up there, she obviously had her teething moments at the start, but then she realised she could hold her own and I was just so proud. Sitaya’s dream is to play as an Opal one day, she loves playing for the green and gold, and the work the CoE has done with her, especially Herbie, has been incredible.”

“The CoE is an amazing program. It doesn't suit everybody, we know that, but for Sitaya, it just really changed her life. I can't speak more highly of the CoE.”

Having seen the rise of women’s basketball first-hand, Kirsten could’ve never imagined it would become what it is today.

“Sitaya is coming in at the right time for women’s basketball,” she said.

“How amazing is it that you see kids wearing women’s jerseys and I see these posts that are being liked by thousands of people about women athletes.

“That's just awesome, and it’s about time!”

Speaking of thousands of likes, whichever college program gets Sitaya Fagan’s commitment, you can be guaranteed that announcement post will garner plenty of attention from around the globe.

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.