The Mississippi State Women’s Basketball authorities were pretty keen on the inclusion of overseas players.

As a result, for the 2025-26 NCAA season, the Bulldogs added the Nigerian forward Favour Nwaedozi to the team's lineup in June 2025.

Nwaedozi has proven to be a worthy addition to the side, thanks to her impressive scoring, rebounding, and positive assist-to-turnover ratio. Still, the Bulldogs brass refused to give up the hunt for talented overseas players.

On December 29, Bulldogs coach Sam Purcell announced that the side had signed another overseas player for the ongoing season: 19-year-old French guard Melissa Guillet.

Guillet averaged 7 points and 2.6 rebounds in her last season for Basket Club La Tronche Meylan, a franchise competing in France's second-tier women's basketball league. She clocked an average game time of 17 minutes.

The 19-year-old grabbed Purcell and his assistant Fred Castro's attention while playing for the French team in the U16 FIBA Women’s European Championship earlier this year. Guillet also represented France in the U18 Women’s EuroBasket in 2024.

After announcing Guillet's inclusion, Purcell also said, "Adding Melissa this late in the year is an awesome opportunity. She has been playing the game at the highest level, and her international experience will be huge for us as she joins the program and helps us chase championships."

However, Purcell and the Bulldogs are far from being the only ones aiming to utilize the merit of their overseas players to their advantage.

Mississippi State Women’s Basketball team isn't the only side signing overseas players

Purcell and Co.'s decision to include Nwaedozi in the side has paid its dividends. The Nigerian forward has played a significant role in multiple Bulldogs victories, with several double-doubles.

Now, Guillet's addition to the side has the Bulldogs coach hoping for even better performances from his side in the upcoming games.

However, Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks are also following a similar blueprint to finish the season at the top. On December 22, the Gamecocks' brass announced that they had signed the 18-year-old French forward, Alicia Tournebize, for the rest of the season.

Like Purcell, Staley also hoped Tournebize's skills would come in handy to uplift her team's standing in the current season. "Alicia has an incredible skill set and basketball IQ," mentioned the 55-year-old. "She has great touch around the rim, can shoot it out to the 3-point line and is a shot blocker."

While both these coaches are viewing their overseas players as a significant strength, it remains to be seen if their foreign recruitments actually manage to turn their dreams into reality.

Written by

Souvik Roy

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu