| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 19 November 2001 Munich, Germany |
| Listed height | 192 cm (6 ft 4 in) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Wilhelm-Hausenstein Gymnasium (Germany) |
| College | UCLA (2020–2024) |
| Position | Small forward |
| Number | 11 |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Medals | |
Emily Bessoir (born 19 November 2001) is a German basketball player who played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins of the Pac-12 Conference. She represents Germany in international play.
Bessoir was born on 19 November 2001 in Munich, Germany. [1] [2] She was raised there by a family with a basketball background. [2] Her father was a three-time All-American player at Scranton, and both her parents played professionally. [2] [3] Bessoir stated that she modeled her game after Elena Delle Donne. [2]
Prior to moving to the United States to play for UCLA, Bessoir played for TS Jahn München . [4] In the 2019–20 season, she averaged 17.9 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 2.1 steals over 31 minutes per game. [5]
Bessoir's father assisted her with her recruitment process. [2] Bessoir and UCLA head coach Cori Close were both present at the 2019 FIBA U18 Women's European Championship in Bangkok, with Bessoir representing Germany and Close coaching the American team. [5] UCLA's recruiting class for Bessoir's freshman season was exclusively made up of international players; she was joined by Australians Izzy Anstey and Gemma Potter. [5]
Playing 20.7 minutes per game, Bessoir averaged 7.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in her freshman season. [6] She was named to the 2020–21 Pac-12 All-Freshman team. [7]
During practice in October 2021, she suffered a torn ACL, causing her to miss the entire 2021–22 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). [8] [9] She played all 37 games the following season. [10] In a December game versus CSU Bakersfield, Bessoir scored 12 points as UCLA won 75–47. [11] In February 2023, she scored 20 points and hit four 3-pointers in a 67–57 win over Oregon. [12]
UCLA opened up their 2023 Pac-12 Tournament play against Arizona State, with Bessoir scoring 17 points and grabbing 9 rebounds in an 81–70 overtime win. [13] In UCLA's following game, she scored 18 points and 13 rebounds in a win over No. 21-ranked Arizona, registering her first career double-double. [14] In UCLA's first game of the 2023 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, she scored 14 points in a 67–45 win over 13-seed Sacramento State. [15] She was named to the All-Tournament team. [7]
During the summer of the 2023 offseason, Bessoir's Bruins played an exhibition game against her former TS Jahn München club. Bessoir scored 17 points as the Bruins won in a 126–23 rout. [16] Going into the 2023–24 season, she was an honorable mention on the Preseason All-Pac 12 Team. [17] Bessoir played in just one game during the season, scoring six points and registering four rebounds. [18] Bessoir was set to miss two games during the season to represent Germany at FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers. [7] However, during a qualifier match on 9 November, she re-injured the ACL that caused her to miss the entire 2021–22 season. As a result, she missed the rest of the season. [18]
After the 2023–24 season, it was announced that Bessoir would not be returning to UCLA or entering the transfer portal, but instead would return to Germany in hopes of making the women's Olympic roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics. [19] She graduated from UCLA in June. [19]
Bessoir represents Germany in international competitions. She was on Germany's roster for the FIBA U16 Women's European Championship, helping the team win a silver medal. [20] She was later on Germany's championship-winning roster at the 2018 FIBA U18 Women's European Championship. [3] Bessoir once again competed for Germany at the FIBA U18 Women's European Championship in 2019. [1]
During the summer of 2020, she competed for Germany during the FIBA U20 Women's European Challengers. She averaged 16.2 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game in five games played. [6]
During her final year at UCLA, Bessoir missed two Bruins games to play EuroBasket Women 2025 qualifiers for Germany. [21] However, she suffered a torn ACL during a match. [18]
Bessoir was included on Germany's finalized 12-woman roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. [22]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | UCLA | 22 | 2 | 20.6 | .407 | .294 | .489 | 5.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | .7 | 7.5 | |
| 2021–22 | UCLA | Did not play due to injury | |||||||||||
| 2022–23 | UCLA | 37 | 35 | 25.1 | .413 | .357 | .742 | 5.8 | 1.2 | .6 | .9 | 9.4 | |
| 2023–24 | UCLA | 1 | 0 | 23.0 | .500 | .333 | .500 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | .0 | 6.0 | |
| Career | 60 | 37 | 23.4 | .412 | .339 | .590 | 5.5 | 1.2 | .8 | .9 | 8.6 | ||
| Statistics retrieved from Sports-Reference. [23] | |||||||||||||
After suffering her ACL injury during the 2023–24 UCLA season, Bessoir co-hosted an art show with Anstey, who was also injured. [24] The art show, dubbed SHE IS: a canvas of strength, beauty and grace, featured a collection of poems and included 11 paintings, a reference to Bessoir's jersey number. [24] The paintings were illustrated by Bessoir, with funds from the art show going toward Bessoir's NIL efforts. [24] Bessoir lives together with German basketball player Svenja Brunckhorst. [25]
ChinenyeJoy "Chiney" Ogwumike is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). In 2020, she became the first Black woman and the first WNBA player to host a national radio show for ESPN. She was one of the first and youngest commentators ever to be named an NBA analyst for the network covering the NBA, WNBA, and variety of sports, while simultaneously playing in the WNBA. Chiney is a graduate of Stanford University, where she majored in International relations. She played in three Final Fours and finished as the conference leader in scoring and rebounding as of January 3, 2014. As of 2016, Ogwumike was elected vice-president of the WNBA Players Association, and signed an endorsement deal with Adidas. In May 2018, Ogwumike signed a multi-year contract with ESPN to become a full-time basketball analyst.
Samantha Allison Whitcomb is an American-Australian professional basketball player for the Bendigo Spirit of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). She played college basketball for the Washington Huskies before making a name for herself in Australia with the Rockingham Flames in the State Basketball League (SBL) and the Perth Lynx in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). She made her debut in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) in 2017 and won championships with the Seattle Storm in 2018 and 2020. She became an Australian citizen in 2018 and made her debut for the Australian Opals.
Sabrina Elaine Ionescu is an American professional basketball player for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks and is considered one of the greatest collegiate players of all time.
Jordin Elizabeth Canada is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was selected by the Seattle Storm with the 5th overall pick in the 2018 WNBA draft. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Canada played collegiately with the UCLA Bruins. She is known for her playmaking, speed and crossover skills. In her rookie season with the Storm, she won her first WNBA championship as they swept the Washington Mystics. In 2020, after winning her second WNBA championship, she signed an endorsement deal with Air Jordan.
Kennedy Valentine Burke is an American professional basketball player for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was drafted by the Dallas Wings in the 2019 WNBA draft, and has played for the Indiana Fever, Seattle Storm, and the Washington Mystics in the WNBA.
Ruth Cecilia Hebard is an American professional basketball player who is a free agent. She played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks. While at West Valley High School in Fairbanks, Alaska, Hebard was a three-time Gatorade State Player of the Year from 2013 to 2015, and two-time USA Today Alaska Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016.
Isatou "Satou" Sabally is a German-American professional basketball player for the Dallas Wings of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was selected second overall by the Wings in the 2020 WNBA draft. She played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks.
Sean Christian Smith is an American professional basketball player for Ironi Kiryat Ata of the Ligat Winner Sal. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. He earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors as a junior in 2020, when he was also named the conference's most improved player. Undrafted out of college, Smith signed a two-way contract to play with the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and their development team, Motor City.
Azzi Fudd is an American college basketball player for the UConn Huskies of the Big East Conference. She attended St. John's College High School in Washington, D.C., where she was ranked as the number one recruit in her class by ESPN and won national player of the year honors. Fudd was on the UConn team that reached the national championship game as a freshman.
Adem Bona is a Nigerian-Turkish basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. Named a McDonald's All-American in high school, he was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team and voted the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2023. Bona was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection and voted the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2024.
Natalie Chou is an American professional basketball player for the Southern Hoiho of the Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa. She is also contracted with the Perth Redbacks of the NBL1 West. Growing up in Texas, she was named a McDonald's All-American as a high school senior in 2016. Chou played two seasons of college basketball for the Baylor Lady Bears before transferring to the UCLA Bruins.
Michaela Nne Onyenwere is a Nigerian-American basketball player for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball with the UCLA Bruins of the Pac-12 Conference.
Cameron Lee Brink is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball at Stanford. She attended Mountainside High School and Southridge High School, both in her hometown of Beaverton, Oregon, where she was a McDonald's All-American and ranked the number three player in her class by ESPN.
Nika Mühl is a Croatian professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball as a point guard for the UConn Huskies. Twice named Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Year while in college, Mühl is UConn's all-time leader in career assists, with 686, and also holds the program records for most assists in a single season and in a single game. She was selected 14th overall by Seattle in the 2024 WNBA draft.
Nyara Sabally is a German professional basketball player for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She also served as an assistant coach for Sacramento State. She played college basketball at Oregon. She represented Germany at the 2018 FIBA U18 Women's European Championship and won a gold medal. She also represented Germany at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Kira Carroll "Kiki" Rice is an American college basketball player for the UCLA Bruins of the Pac-12 Conference. She played for Sidwell Friends School at the high school level, where she was one of the top recruits in her class and earned national player of the year honors as a senior.
Lauren Marie Betts is an American college basketball player for the UCLA Bruins of the Pac-12 Conference. She played for Grandview High School in Aurora, Colorado, where she was ranked as the number one recruit in her class by ESPN. Betts started her college career at Stanford before transferring to UCLA after one season.
Judea Skies "JuJu" Watkins is an American college basketball player for the USC Trojans of the Big Ten Conference.
Charisma Osborne is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA. She was drafted by the Mercury in the 2024 WNBA draft. She played college basketball at UCLA.
Charlisse Trinity Leger-Walker is a New Zealand college basketball player for the UCLA Bruins of the Big Ten Conference. She previously played for the Washington State Cougars.
