Villanova star Jasmine Bascoe represents home nation on global stage: ‘What more could you ask for?’

In her first two seasons with Villanova, Jasmine Bascoe has established herself as one of the best women’s basketball players in the Big 5. Now, she’s establishing a role with Canada’s national team.

In August, Bascoe was named to Canada’s 12-woman roster for a FIBA women’s basketball Olympic prequalifying tournament from Aug. 17 to Aug. 23 in Guadalajara, Mexico.

While the tournament was Bascoe’s senior team debut with Canada, she previously represented her home nation at the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in 2025. At 20 years old, the junior guard is now playing for the country’s top women’s basketball team.

“Getting a chance to play for the senior team at this age is something that nobody would take for granted,” Bascoe said. “Just being exposed to the older players and the compete level — it’s just something that you can really take with you anywhere when wherever you go play.”

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At training camp for the tournament, Bascoe, who was coming off an injury, said she learned from watching those around her before she could get involved herself. By the time the tournament began in August, she was getting used to playing alongside Olympians like Yvonne Ejim, Sami Hill, Shaina Pellington, and Syla Swords.

She said the veterans’ constant communication allowed the team’s younger players, like Bascoe, to learn more.

“They weren’t on us right away to be perfect, which obviously gives us a lot more confidence as well,” Bascoe said. “They were everything we needed them to be. They were leaders, but then at the same time, they were great friends. Like they honestly were some of my closest friends this whole summer, which was just amazing, and just getting to hear stories from them and their other pro experiences and their NCAA experiences, I mean, what more could you ask for?”

The fifth Olympian on the team was Kayla Alexander, who represented Canada in Tokyo in 2020 and in Paris in 2024. She currently plays for the WNBA’s Toronto Tempo and holds Canada’s all-time career rebound record. She’s also from the same hometown as Bascoe: Milton, Ontario.

After the tournament, Bascoe told Alexander just how much fun she had playing with someone she said is “an amazing person” and “a great leader.”

“I’ve always looked up to her as a person, but it’s so great,” Bascoe said. “She just keeps everyone so level-headed and just always on the same page. And she’s a great lifeline between us and the coaches. And so it just made the whole summer very smooth.”

Canada went 5-0 in the tournament, capped by an 83-53 win over Mexico in the final on Aug. 23. With the tournament win, Canada secured the only available spot in the FIBA women’s Olympic qualifying tournament in March 2028.

Bascoe led Canada in assists with 5.4 per game, and was second in points with 10.8 per game.

In her sophomore season at Villanova, Bascoe led the Big East in assists (4.9 per game) and scoring (18.9), finishing ahead of UConn’s Azzi Fudd, who was the No. 1 overall pick of the WNBA draft this year, and Sarah Strong. She also was named the Big 5 Player of the Year.

Bascoe said the pace and physicality of a tournament played with and against professionals further improved her game, and it’s something she hopes to implement during her junior year with the Wildcats. As an upperclassman now, Bascoe said sheer speed is no longer going to work for her, and she wants to start incorporating physicality into her style of play.

“I just think it was a summer full of learning for me,” Bascoe said. “Playing at that level is not easy. It’s physical, it’s fast, and it just prepares you so good for everything else, like NCAA, everything. So it was amazing, and I was just fortunate to be able to get some games under my belt with the senior team and end on a good note. … It was a very fulfilling summer, and then now I’m just ready to bring everything back here to Villanova.”