Top 10 Australians to watch in NCAA women's basketball

• There are more than 100 Australian women playing NCAA Division 1 basketball
• Georgia Amoore is having a standout season at Kentucky
• Senior Kitty Henderson is in elite company, averaging 13-6-5

There are Australian women scattered from one side of the USA to the other all chasing their NCAA basketball dreams.

While some are in their final year of college eligibility before turning professional, others are growing into roles as they find their groove in the system.

The sheer number of Australians plying their trade in NCAA Division 1 women’s basketball highlights the depth of elite talent coming through the ranks and points to exciting times ahead for both the Opals and the WNBL as many are destined to return home and play in the league in the years to come.

Let’s breakdown the top 10 performing Australians in college basketball so far this season.

1. Georgia Amoore (Kentucky)

2024-25 Per Game Statistics: 18.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists.

Georgia Amoore is not only one of the most exciting players to watch in college basketball, but she’s one of the most productive too. Currently equal-leading the entire nation in assists (career-high 7.4 per game), Amoore has taken her floor game to a new level this season, after making the move to Kentucky after four excellent seasons at Virginia Tech.

She’s leading the Wildcats to new heights, sitting second in the SEC with a 17-2 record to be ranked #12 in the nation. Amoore most likely would’ve been a first round selection in last year’s WNBA Draft, but she decided to return to college and her draft stock continues to rise as she is proving herself as one of the best guards (in a loaded draft class) in the country.

Her game is so shifty and delightful to watch, with her first step proving deadly as defenders struggle to guard her on the perimeter and she hardly needs a driving lane to make her way into the paint and score.

It’s exciting times ahead for the Opals when you think of a backcourt built around Amoore, Jade Melbourne, Izzy Borlase and Shaneice Swain in the years to come. I cannot wait!

2. Kitty Henderson (Columbia)

2024-25 Per Game Statistics: 13.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists.

Kitty Henderson has elevated her game every year she’s been at Columbia, and now in her fourth year with the Lions, she’s one of only four players in the nation to be averaging at least 13 points, six rebounds and five assists per game.

Averaging career-highs across the board and having the ball in her hands much more than in previous years, all while cutting down her turnovers to the least she has averaged since her freshman year highlights just how composed and reliable she has been for Columbia.

To say she is reliable is an understatement though, she’s a genuine star and is writing herself into the Lions’ record books, currently top ten in program history in points, assists and steals.

She does it all for Columbia, on both ends, and her ability to see things defensively is uncanny. Averaging 2.2 steals per game, Henderson disrupts passing lanes at will and creates havoc on the defensive side of the ball. The Lions currently sit at 14-4 and first in the Ivy League, with their eyes firmly set on another Ivy League title.

3. Mia Jacobs (Fresno State)

2024-25 Per Game Statistics: 18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2 assists.

Mia Jacobs is the type of player every coach loves to have on their team. She’s relentless on both ends of the court and just keeps getting better. Steering Fresno State to a 13-8 record, Jacobs is leading the team in scoring (18.2 per game), rebounds (9.4) and steals (2.4).

Over a manic two-game stretch earlier this month, Jacobs recorded 32 points, 10 rebounds and 2 steals in a 77-64 win over San Jose State, then backed that up with a 30-point, 10-rebound and three-steal effort three days later in a tight win over Boise State, 68-62.

Highlighting her consistency, she’s recorded a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double in 11 of 21 games played.

4. Olivia Pollerd (Santa Clara)

2024-25 Per Game Statistics: 16 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists.

In her fourth year of college and third at Santa Clara, Olivia Pollerd is playing more minutes than ever and is having a huge impact for the Broncos. Santa Clara has struggled for consistency as a team, sitting at 11-11, but Pollerd has had no such issues, scoring in double figures every game except against High Point University where she played just six minutes due to injury.

Averaging career-highs across the board and leading the team in scoring (16 points per game), rebounding (5.9) and blocks (1.7), Pollerd has continued her upward trajectory, just as she has done throughout her entire college career.

5. Georgia Woolley (Syracuse)

2024-25 Per Game Statistics: 15 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists.

It’s been a tough season to say the least for Syracuse, sitting at 8-12 and just 2-7 in ACC play, but Georgia Woolley has been a steady offensive force, averaging career-highs in points (15 per game) and assists (3.5).

In her fourth year of college, a lot of the opposition’s defence is focussed on Woolley as Dyashia Fair, third all-time in NCAA Division 1 women's basketball career points scored, graduated after last season. With so much more attention on Woolley, she has done well to lead the team and stay composed throughout a challenging season for the Orange.

Woolley is one of three Australians at Syracuse this season, with Sophie Burrows making huge strides in her second season, starting every game and averaging 10.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Freshman Madeline Potts has shown promising signs, playing in 16 games and over the weekend produced the best game of her career in her first start, finishing with 13 points and five rebounds in a 67-55 win against Clemson.

6. Kelsey Rees (Oregon State)

2024-25 Per Game Statistics: 13.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists.

In her senior year of college, Kelsey Rees has taken on a much larger role than in years prior and has risen to the challenge. Leading Oregon State in scoring (13.3 per game) and rebounding (7.8), she has been a relentless worker on both ends of the court.

Watching Rees play is a joy; she’s a workhorse who isn’t afraid do the dirty work and has taken her game to the next level this season, thriving under the added pressure and expectation of leading the team.

Rees — the daughter of four-time NBL Champion Paul Rees and former WNBL player Nicole Guy-Rees — is following in the footsteps of her parents and also sister, Darcy, who graduated from the University of Washington in 2023 after five season and is now playing in Germany for Herner, averaging a very solid 13 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

7. Amelia Hassett (Kentucky)

2024-25 Per Game Statistics: 10.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists.

Amelia Hassett has been an absolute revelation in her first season with the Wildcats after two seasons with Eastern Florida in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). While Amoore is leading the team and creating plenty of highlight plays, Hassett has been vital in everything Kentucky has done this season.

Boasting such a skilled and polished game, Hassett is not only averaging just shy of a double-double with 10.7 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, she’s also opening up so much space for her teammates — Amoore in particular — to operate in by being such a threat from deep. Hitting 2.3 triples per game at a healthy 37.4% rate, Hassett’s presence on the perimeter forces opposition defenders to respect her shot and leave the paint to defend her.

Keep an eye on Hassett in the future as she’s really building into a great frontcourt prospect.

8. Lulu Twidale (California)

2024-25 Per Game Statistics: 13.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists.

I’m loving what Lulu Twidale has been able to do with the Golden Bears in her second season with the team. Her role has expanded greatly and she’s making the most of the opportunity, proving herself as one of the best knockdown shooters in the nation.

She got off to a ridiculously hot start to the season, hitting at least three triples in her first eight games on crazy good efficiency (48.3%), and while her shooting touch has somewhat come back to earth, she’s still hitting 40.3% of three-pointers on over seven attempts per game. Just a deadly shooting threat!

Currently ranked #19 in the nation, the Golden Bears are 18-3 on the season and Twidale has been a huge part of the team’s success.

9. Antoinette Emma-Nnopu (Weber State)

2024-25 Per Game Statistics: 10.6 points, 9.7 rebounds.

Having made the move from UNC Greensboro to Weber State this season, Antoinette Emma-Nnopu — the younger sister of Agnes Emma-Nnopu, playing for TCU in her fifth year of eligibility — has made massive gains and is now a double-double machine. Having recorded a double-double in five of her last six outings, Emma-Nnopu is a tireless worker and is really picking her spots well in recent games, not forcing things.

With the Wildcats winning two of their last three games, Emma-Nnopu has been vital in all three outings, averaging 15.3 points and 13.3 rebounds on a super-efficient 65.4% shooting from the field.

10. Charlise Dunn (Davidson)

2024-25 Per Game Statistics: 12.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists.

It’s just great to see Charlise Dunn back on the court and looking like herself! After a cruel ACL injury ended her 2023-24 campaign prematurely just under a year ago, she returned to the court five games into the Wildcats’ 2024-25 season and got straight to work.

In her third season of college basketball and second at Davidson, Dunn is leading the team in scoring (12.1 points) and is second in rebounding (5.7), behind fellow Australian Millie Prior.

There’s been an incredible Australian contingent at Davidson for a number of years now and Australians are leading every major statistical category for the Wildcats, with Issy Morgan also leading the team in assists (2.4). There’s five Australians in total on the roster, with Katie Donovan (10.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per game) and freshman Emilie Bessell.

It’s been a rollercoaster season for the Wildcats, with a four-game losing streak that started in early December, directly followed by a six-game winning streak, sees Davidson own a 10-10 record.

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.