CU WBB boasts the most international players in program history

BOULDER, Colo. — It’s the largest international class in CU women’s basketball history. Eight international players, from seven different countries, tied for the second most in the U.S.

“I think it’s just really cool that we have players from so many corners of the world,” fifth-year senior Frida Formann said. “And not only basketball-wise but just off the court like it’s so many different experiences and cultures that are merged together.”

Formann is the lone starter returning from last season and one of the two returning international players ready to welcome in the new squad.

“These are high-level IQ kids,” head coach JR Payne expressed. “They’re a lot of people that understand the game on a deeper level and have a really varied skill set, which is very fun to coach.”

Of the eight is preseason Big 12 freshman of the year, Tabitha Betson, bringing that Australian flair to the Big 12.

“The combination of having Americans as well as having internationals, is really awesome,” Betson said. “There’s lots of like different reads and things that we do just kind of, like, off the ball and stuff that wouldn’t be expected.”

“You like, this group is so fun. They can tease each other. They can poke fun. They can have fun. They can work really hard. I mean, they’re a very light-hearted group, and so they tease each other about the accents and, you know, different things like that. I haven’t seen anybody cuss anybody out in a different language yet, which I’m sure is coming at some point, probably me, they’ll cuss out. I won’t know it, but no, it’s just it honestly has been really fun”

It’s a sense of pride, wearing C-U across their chests while representing their home countries on their backs.

“I really hope that we can show people this year that basketball in other countries is real, it’s real,” Australian returner, Sara-Rose Smith said. “And, you know, we’re good at what we do and putting ourselves on the map, and, you know, doing it for our home countries, I think it’s really, really cool, and it’s something I think that not just me, but like a lot of the other girls, are like, you know, really prideful about.”

Ten newcomers total, were added to this CU roster.

“We were very diligent,” Payne said. “Worked very hard on recruiting and I think it’s, it’s an incredible class.”

CU opens the season Monday at 5:30 p.m. against Wyoming.

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