logo
USC women's basketball adds Lithuania's Gerda Raulusaityte to roster

USC women's basketball adds Lithuania's Gerda Raulusaityte to roster

USA Today17 hours ago
With the start of the 2025-2026 season drawing closer, USC women's basketball continues to add to its roster. On Thursday, the Trojans picked up a commitment from 6-3 post player Gerda Raulusaityte.
Raulusaityte comes to USC from Lithuania. She has competed professionally in the country, as well as for the Lithuanian national team.
'Gerda is an important and exciting addition to our team," head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said in a statement. 'A dynamic post player with a plethora of international experience, Gerda will bring size, versatility, toughness and skill to our front line. We are proud that she made the Lithuanian senior national team for EuroBasket, and we know that her unique experiences playing in Europe will add a new dimension to our team. Gerda has been a joy to get to know. I have no doubt that being a part of the Trojan Family will make her feel as if she has a home away from home. We can't wait to welcome Gerda to Los Angeles and our campus.'
USC is losing Kiki Iriafen and Rayah Marshall, its two starters in the post from last season. Raulusaityte will look to compete for immediate playing time this season in order to help the Trojans fill the void created by their departure.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Nets sign 19th overall pick Nolan Traoré to rookie scale contract
Nets sign 19th overall pick Nolan Traoré to rookie scale contract

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Nets sign 19th overall pick Nolan Traoré to rookie scale contract

French guard Nolan Traoré, the 19th overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, signed his rookie-scale contract with the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, the team announced. Traoré was the Champions League Best Young Player after averaging 12.2 points, 4.7 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 44 appearances with Saint-Quentin in France. He registered seven 20-point games, including a 25-point effort on May 9. Advertisement He will make $3,811,560 next season, according to Spotrac. The 19-year-old put himself on the radar after a great offseason last year, representing France in the Nike Hoop Summit and FIBA U18 EuroBasket. He averaged 14 points, 9.3 assists and 3.6 rebounds on 42.9% shooting from 3-point range as France finished fifth in Finland. Traoré was highly touted entering the draft because of his potential to be an elite playmaker at the next level. He plays with excellent court vision, often flourishing by running offenses against high-level competition due to his instincts and passing ability. The 6-foot-4 standout is among a crowded draft class for the Nets, joining Egor Demin (eighth pick), Drake Powell (22nd pick), Ben Saraf (26th pick) and Danny Wolf (27th pick). With the exception of Powell, who is pending a trade with Atlanta, they have each signed their contracts. Advertisement Traoré will suit up with the Nets for at least five games in the NBA Summer League, beginning on July 10 against the Oklahoma City Thunder (5:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN2). This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Nolan Traoré: Nets sign 19th overall pick to rookie scale contract

WNBA Player Sends Clear Message After Being Released by Valkyries
WNBA Player Sends Clear Message After Being Released by Valkyries

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

WNBA Player Sends Clear Message After Being Released by Valkyries

WNBA Player Sends Clear Message After Being Released by Valkyries originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The WNBA landscape recently changed with the return of several international players. During the season, the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 welcomed a flurry of WNBA talent as a qualifying event for the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup. Advertisement One of many players on temporary leave from the WNBA was former Golden State Valkyries guard Julie Vanloo. She played for her home country, Belgium, which repeated as EuroBasket champion. Vanloo was playing in her first season with the Valkyries when she departed from the team on temporary leave. As Vanloo returned to the United States, concluding her participation in the EuroBasket event, she was released from the Valkyries. Soon after, Vanloo was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Sparks. She spoke on the process of being released by Golden State and acquired by L.A. "I still can't believe it," Vanloo said. "So much has happened in such a short amount of time. I'm still processing everything. Thank you EVERYONE for supporting me through this rollercoaster. This was a huge game changer to never give up. I'll make a video about everything that has happened the passed 48 hours in the next days. Now I'm going to rest and relax because I'm exhausted." Advertisement Julie Vanloo, Instagram Julie Vanloo, Instagram In her first game with the Los Angeles Sparks, Julie Vanloo played just two minutes, getting a feel for her new team later in the game. The Sparks wound up losing to the New York Liberty, 89-79. Former Golden State Valkyries guard Julie Vanloo (35).Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Before joining the Los Angeles Sparks, Julie Vanloo averaged 4.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game with the Golden State Valkyries. Vanloo will have another opportunity to carve out a role in the Sparks' lineup on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET against the Indiana Fever. Related: Stephanie White Makes Strong Statement After Indiana Fever Game on Thursday Related: Indiana Fever Player on Temporary Leave Reacts to New Post on Thursday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.

Victor Wembanyama Makes Tough Personal Decision
Victor Wembanyama Makes Tough Personal Decision

Yahoo

time6 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Victor Wembanyama Makes Tough Personal Decision

Victor Wembanyama Makes Tough Personal Decision originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Last summer, one of the most thrilling sports moments was Victor Wembanyama making his debut for team France and nearly stealing the gold medal from the Americans on his home court at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Advertisement While EuroBasket is not the same as the Olympics, it is still a major FIBA tournament, and the French are expected to defend the dominance they laid out last summer. Unfortunately, Wembanyama is yet to resume full-contact basketball drills, and even with his return imminent, he will not suit up for Les Bleus this summer. As much as fans would like to see him play earlier than the start of the regular season, the Spurs can take a sigh of relief knowing that their superstar is willing to take things slow when needed. "Returning to team training? I think we're very close to that, yes," RC Buford told Le Parisien. Advertisement Wembanyama has been seen this summer playing soccer, doing kung-fu, and playing in pickup games around the world, although he has yet to start formal drills with the Spurs. However, his travel does suggest that his deep vein thrombosis is in the rearview mirror, and now he simply needs to get back into shape. Just by looking at photos he's posted of his travels, he appears to have added both muscle and weight, much to the delight of fans. The French National Team will have their hands full without Wembanyama, and Rudy Gobert dropping out does not help. It is expected that Washington Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly will play a bigger role for the French. Check out the Inside the Spurs home page for more news, analysis, and must-read articles. Advertisement Related: San Antonio Spurs' Rookie Carter Bryant Compares Himself to Overlooked All-Star Related: San Antonio Spurs Rookie Finds 'Older Brother' in Unconventional Veteran Leader This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store