Pronounced: NAW-knee FALL-uh-tay-uh
EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon continues to add talent to its 2024-25 roster, as the Ducks have signed BYU-transfer and all-West Coast Conference guard Nani Falatea, head women’s basketball coach Kelly Graves announced Monday.
Falatea, a 5-foot-9 guard from Salt Lake City, Utah, was named to the 2022-23 all-WCC first team following her sophomore season in which she averaged a career-high 15.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists while playing 35.0 minutes a game, shooting 39.2 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from the 3-point line.
In her all-conference campaign, she produced seven 20-point scoring efforts, including four straight performances. Falatea dropped a career-high 27 points behind six 3-pointers to go with five steals at Pacific. She totaled 28 games with double-digit points, including a career-long stretch of 11 consecutive games with 10 or more points.
Over three seasons at BYU, she appeared in 64 games (34 starts) and averaged 9.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 39.9 percent from the floor. Falatea set the Cougars’ single-season 3-point record as a freshman, shooting 50.0 percent from beyond the arc (21-for-42), while she shot 47.1 percent from the floor in her initial collegiate season.
Falatea appeared in three games during the 2023-24 season, scoring in double figures twice with a season-high 11 points in 19 minutes against LMU. She finished the season averaging 8.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 33.3 percent from the field.
She attended both East High School and Herriman High School in Salt Lake City and was named state 6A MVP following her senior season and was a three-time all-state first-team selection. Additionally, she was selected as an Adidas Gauntlet All-American as a junior and voted 5A state MVP as a sophomore at East High School, winning two state titles and four regional championships.
Falatea will be a redshirt junior when the 2024-25 season begins and has two years of eligibility remaining.
Nani Falatea >> 5-9, Guard, Salt Lake City, Utah
Spent three seasons at BYU, appearing in 64 games with 34 starts … Voted to the 2022-23 all-West Coast Conference first team after her sophomore season … As a sophomore, averaged a career-best 15.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists while playing 35.0 minutes a game, shooting 39.2 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from the 3-point line … Dropped a career-high 27 points behind six 3-pointers and picked up a career-high five steals at Pacific on Jan. 28, 2023 … Produced seven 20-point scoring efforts during her sophomore campaign, including four straight such games … Grabbed a career-high nine rebounds at Colorado State on Nov. 8, 2022 and handed out a career-high eight assists against Monmouth on Dec. 21, 2022 … Logged 31 career games with 10 or more points, with the Cougars going 18-13 in those contests, including 11 straight such games in 2022-23 … Led or tied for the team lead in scoring 13 times during the 2022-23 season … Led her team with 4.5 assists as a sophomore and finished second in scoring, rebounding and 3-point shooting … As a freshman in 2021-22, averaged 3.2 points and 1.3 rebounds a game in 10.8 minutes per game while shooting 47.1 percent from the field … Shot 50.0 percent from the 3-point line (21-for-42), a BYU single-season record with at least 40 attempts … Logged a season-high 14 points against Boise State on Nov. 20, 2021, going 5-for-5 from the field and 4-for-4 from behind the arc … Missed the first five games of the 2023-24 season, and played in just three games with one start … Averaged 8.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 33.3 percent from the field … Scored in doubles figures twice, recording a season-high 11 points in 19 minutes against LMU on Nov. 25, 2023 … Dished out seven assists to go with five rebounds at Wyoming on Nov. 28, 2023 … In her BYU career, she averaged 9.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 39.9 percent from the floor and 39.2 percent from the 3-point line … Attended East High School forthree seasons before finishing her prep career at Herriman High School in Salt Lake City, Utah … Named state 6A MVP following her senior season and was a three-time all-state first-team selection … Named Adidas Gauntlet All-American as a junior … Voted 5A state MVP as a sophomore at East High School … Won two state titles and four regional championships.
Graves on Falatea: Nani is a knock-down shooter and extremely skilled passer. She has the ability to take defenders off the dribble and create for teammates. Three-point shooting is something we struggled with last season and that’s where Nani can help us improve. Her maturity and leadership abilities will be a welcome addition to the locker room and our staff is so excited to get her here and on the court.
