BRNO (Czechia) - The FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2025 provided the perfect platform for the cream of rising star talent to showcase their potential.
Heading into the competition, there were a number of young guns expected to shine, with some having been identified as prospects to watch by expert observers. Yet many of those surpassed expectations with crazy good tournament showings.
Meanwhile other players jumped into the middle of the radar - and none more so than TISSOT MVP, Saniyah Hall. But with the USA standout already receiving plenty of deserved praise for her stellar displays, it's time to give some love and attention to six other ballers who all blossomed in Brno.
Gal Raviv - Israel
Even if Raviv was ranked as the 5th best prospect ahead of the big tip-off, that decision had been met with some doubts in some quarters. In the end, the Israeli guard and 'walking bucket' showed she could have been even higher with an extraordinary tournament that culminated in a deserved place on the All-Second Team. An unstoppable scoring machine, she led the way in scoring in the competition with a massive 26.3 points per game.
Clara Silva - Portugal
Carrying a lot of responsibility Silva embraced her role for the rookies. She was phenomenal and led her team to a fantastic 7th place finish with stellar numbers that harvested an All-Second Team spot. The center was sensational and led the competition in performance efficiency at 25.0 after a near tournament double-double of 23.0 points and 9.7 boards per outing - as well as 2.9 blocks per game which led to her being named as Best Defensive Player.
Bonnie Deas - Australia
Deas stepped up brilliantly for the Gems who went into this one without a couple of their biggest stars, but the guard ensured that was no problem as she inspired a silver medal. Attaining All-Star Five honors, she showed great leadership throughout. Australia always looked a better team with her on the court. She showed she is clutch and tough with a dagger in the epic Quarter-Final against Hungary even though she'd endured a rough shooting night.
Avery Howell - Canada
With all eyes on her Canada teammate Syla Swords and also the likes of Jasmine Bascoe and Agot Makeer, it was brilliant the way that Howell proved to be a real sleeper and posted a breakout tournament. She was outstanding at key times and played smart defense, while providing an efficient offensive punch too. With solid fundamentals and composure in what was actually her first ever FIBA youth outing, it's clear Canada have another senior prospect.
Kejia Ran - China
It was an underwhelming tournament on the whole for China who were ripped apart from losing star baller Zhang Ziyu to FIBA Women's Asia Cup 2025. But the one bright spark from a challenging campaign in Brno was the emergence of Ran. A non-factor previously at U18, she erupted in her debut global tournament with some stunning displays. She signed off having averaged a fine tournament double-double of 19.1 points and 11.3 boards per game.
Sitaya Fagan - Australia
The forward had already showed her potential with the Sapphires at the FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup 2024. But sparkling for the Gems, Fagan turned up the dial and was even more impressive and influential in Brno. Her length and ability to draw defenders out to the perimeter, as well as her work off the ball and rebounding all stood out. Another reason to smile is that she's eligible to make what will be an exciting return for the 2027 edition.
FIBA