Former Fresno State women’s basketball player Bree Farley will be playing professionally in Portugal this year after agreeing to a one-season contract with GDESSA Barriero. Farley will be competing in the Liga Femina which gets under way next month.
Farley headed to Portugal on Monday to join the team for preseason preparations. Her first professional game is scheduled for Oct. 11.
“I think we have our first scrimmage game probably six days after I get there,” Farley said. “It’s pretty much all play after that, and I believe the season goes until early May, when they have their championships.”
GDESSA is scheduled to play 22 games from Oct. 11 through March leading to the postseason. Last year, GDESSA finished with a 12-8 record and advanced to the Liga Femina League semifinals.
Farley is no stranger to playing basketball outside of the United States. The former Bulldog is originally from Kadina, South Australia. Europe will be the third continent in which she will have played organized basketball.
“I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go to Europe, but I think just looking at my options and for me being able to continue to play was exciting,” Farley said. “I think this will be a really good opportunity for me to hopefully get plenty of court time and being able to contribute to the team. To experience another culture, too, that’s a huge part of it.”
Farley had other offers, but felt comfortable signing with GDESSA thanks to her agent who has prior experience with the organization. The former Bulldog caught the attention of European scouts at the professional combine held at the final four. She is signed for one season and will then decide if she will continue her professional career in Europe.
“This, I think, is a good fit,” Farley said. “An athlete that my agent had the previous year went to this team, and she had no problems. [My agent] actually got in contact with her and asked her a lot of questions before I signed. I was able to speak to the coach too about expectations and a little about the team, and I think that helped a lot.”
Farley played in 132 games and started in 65 of them in four years at Fresno State. She averaged 8.1 points and 3.5 rebounds. Those stats peaked in her senior season, when she averaged 13.6 points per game, earning a spot on the All-Mountain West second team.
One of her most memorable Fresno State moments came in her freshman season, however. Farley’s buzzer-beating basket won the Western Athletic Conference Tournament Championship game over Louisiana Tech and sent the team to the NCAA Tournament. Farley and the Bulldogs earned bids to the NCAA Tournament in all four of her seasons.
Farley is one of several former Bulldogs playing overseas, including former men’s basketball players Jerry Brown (France), Garrett Johnson (China), Quinton Hosley (Portugal), Kevin Foster (Argentina) and Hector Hernandez (Mexico), as well as volleyball players Holly Franks (Sweden) and Korrin Wild (France).