Five Women's Basketball Bruins to Appear at Paris Olympics
July 25, 2024 | Women's Basketball, Olympics
LOS ANGELES – Five women's basketball Bruins will represent three countries in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Emily Bessoir and Lina Sontag join forces as Germany makes its first appearance in the Olympics. Angela Dugalić makes her second-consecutive appearance with Serbia, having played with the Serbian national team at the Tokyo games in 2021. Nirra Fields and Noelle Quinn will both represent Canada; Fields plays in her third-straight Olympics and Quinn joins the coaching staff as an assistant coach.
BRUINS IN THE OLYMPICS
Emily Bessoir - Germany
A UCLA student-athlete from 2020-24, Bessoir was a central part to the Bruin women's basketball team's success. She was named to the 2023 Pac-12 All-Tournament, averaging a near-double-double as the Bruins made a run to the championship game. Bessoir was a three-time Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll honoree (2022-24), receiving the honor in each of the three seasons she was eligible for it. The German forward was also named to the 2021 Pac-12 All-Freshman team.
Angela Dugalić – Serbia
UCLA's only active student-athlete in the current Games, Dugalić is a two-time Olympian. She helped UCLA reach its highest ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 Women's Basketball Poll (No. 2, nine weeks during 2023-24) as she averaged career highs in points, rebounds and assists. Dugalic started 29 of her 30 appearances in 2023-24 after missing the previous season due to injury.
Nirra Fields – Canada
A Bruin graduate, Fields competed at UCLA from 2012-16. The 2024 games will be her third-consecutive appearance with team Canada (2016, 2020, 2024). The two-time FIBA AmeriCup gold medalist was also a gold medalist with Canada at the 2015 Pan American Games. Fields was the first Canadian woman to be selected to the McDonald's Al-American team prior to joining the Bruins.
Noelle Quinn – Canada
Quinn, the current head coach of the WNBA's Seattle Storm, joins Team Canada as its lead assistant coach. The UCLA Athletics Hall of Famer competed for the Bruins from 2003-07 before being selected fourth overall in the 2007 WNBA Draft by the Minnesota Lynx. She was the first Bruin, man or woman, to total 1,700 points, 700 rebounds and 400 assists in her career. She was selected to the All-Pac-10 teams three times and earned Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 2004. Quinn is a WNBA champion as a player (2018) and an associate head coach (2020).
Lina Sontag – Germany
A UCLA student-athlete from 2022-24, Sontag helped UCLA make back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in 2023 and 2024. She led the team in blocks as a freshman, totaling 37 rejections (third-most all-time for a UCLA freshman). Sontag was also recognized on the 2024 Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll as a sophomore.
OLYMPIC SCHEDULE
Sunday, July 28
12 p.m., Peacock/Digital Only – Women's Basketball - Serbia vs. Puerto Rico
Monday, July 29
4:30 a.m., Peacock/Digital Only – Women's Basketball – Germany vs. Belgium
8:15 a.m., Peacock/Digital Only – Women's Basketball – Canada vs. France
Wednesday, July 31
4:30 a.m., Peacock/Digital Only – Women's Basketball – China vs. Serbia
Thursday, August 1
2 a.m., Peacock/Digital Only – Women's Basketball – Japan vs. Germany
4:30 a.m., Peacock/Digital Only – Women's Basketball – Australia vs. Canada
Saturday, August 3
4:30 a.m., Peacock/Digital Only – Women's Basketball – Serbia vs. Spain
Sunday, August 4
4:30 a.m., Peacock/Digital Only – Women's Basketball – Canada vs. Nigeria
8:15 a.m., USA – Women's Basketball – Germany vs. United States
Wednesday, August 7
TBD – Women's Basketball – Quarterfinals
Friday, August 9
TBD – Women's Basketball – Semifinals
Sunday, August 11
TBD – Women's Basketball – Bronze and Gold Medal Games
Emily Bessoir and Lina Sontag join forces as Germany makes its first appearance in the Olympics. Angela Dugalić makes her second-consecutive appearance with Serbia, having played with the Serbian national team at the Tokyo games in 2021. Nirra Fields and Noelle Quinn will both represent Canada; Fields plays in her third-straight Olympics and Quinn joins the coaching staff as an assistant coach.
BRUINS IN THE OLYMPICS
Emily Bessoir - Germany
A UCLA student-athlete from 2020-24, Bessoir was a central part to the Bruin women's basketball team's success. She was named to the 2023 Pac-12 All-Tournament, averaging a near-double-double as the Bruins made a run to the championship game. Bessoir was a three-time Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll honoree (2022-24), receiving the honor in each of the three seasons she was eligible for it. The German forward was also named to the 2021 Pac-12 All-Freshman team.
Angela Dugalić – Serbia
UCLA's only active student-athlete in the current Games, Dugalić is a two-time Olympian. She helped UCLA reach its highest ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 Women's Basketball Poll (No. 2, nine weeks during 2023-24) as she averaged career highs in points, rebounds and assists. Dugalic started 29 of her 30 appearances in 2023-24 after missing the previous season due to injury.
Nirra Fields – Canada
A Bruin graduate, Fields competed at UCLA from 2012-16. The 2024 games will be her third-consecutive appearance with team Canada (2016, 2020, 2024). The two-time FIBA AmeriCup gold medalist was also a gold medalist with Canada at the 2015 Pan American Games. Fields was the first Canadian woman to be selected to the McDonald's Al-American team prior to joining the Bruins.
Noelle Quinn – Canada
Quinn, the current head coach of the WNBA's Seattle Storm, joins Team Canada as its lead assistant coach. The UCLA Athletics Hall of Famer competed for the Bruins from 2003-07 before being selected fourth overall in the 2007 WNBA Draft by the Minnesota Lynx. She was the first Bruin, man or woman, to total 1,700 points, 700 rebounds and 400 assists in her career. She was selected to the All-Pac-10 teams three times and earned Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 2004. Quinn is a WNBA champion as a player (2018) and an associate head coach (2020).
Lina Sontag – Germany
A UCLA student-athlete from 2022-24, Sontag helped UCLA make back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in 2023 and 2024. She led the team in blocks as a freshman, totaling 37 rejections (third-most all-time for a UCLA freshman). Sontag was also recognized on the 2024 Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll as a sophomore.
OLYMPIC SCHEDULE
Sunday, July 28
12 p.m., Peacock/Digital Only – Women's Basketball - Serbia vs. Puerto Rico
Monday, July 29
4:30 a.m., Peacock/Digital Only – Women's Basketball – Germany vs. Belgium
8:15 a.m., Peacock/Digital Only – Women's Basketball – Canada vs. France
Wednesday, July 31
4:30 a.m., Peacock/Digital Only – Women's Basketball – China vs. Serbia
Thursday, August 1
2 a.m., Peacock/Digital Only – Women's Basketball – Japan vs. Germany
4:30 a.m., Peacock/Digital Only – Women's Basketball – Australia vs. Canada
Saturday, August 3
4:30 a.m., Peacock/Digital Only – Women's Basketball – Serbia vs. Spain
Sunday, August 4
4:30 a.m., Peacock/Digital Only – Women's Basketball – Canada vs. Nigeria
8:15 a.m., USA – Women's Basketball – Germany vs. United States
Wednesday, August 7
TBD – Women's Basketball – Quarterfinals
Friday, August 9
TBD – Women's Basketball – Semifinals
Sunday, August 11
TBD – Women's Basketball – Bronze and Gold Medal Games
Players Mentioned
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